- Dylan Marshall, 10, was born with Larsen’s syndrome, a rare genetic condition, which causes dislocation of the bones
- He has faced multiple surgeries over many years to correct vertebrae that were pushing down into his spinal cord
- In one operation doctors predicted just a 15% chance of Dylan surviving without dying, being paralysed, or requiring a ventilator for lifeÂ
- This weekend he is set to complete the 4k Junior Great North Run, and will step out of his wheelchair to cross the finish line
- Has already smashed his fundraising target and raised £500 for The Sick Children’s Trust, which helped his mum and dad during his treatmentÂ
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A ten-year-old boy who can barely walk due to a rare spine condition is hoping to complete a 4km run – and step out of his wheelchair to walk across the finish line.
Dylan Marshall will join thousands of other children tackling the Junior Great North run in Newcastle this weekend
But for the 10-year-old, just reaching the start line is an achievement.
Dylan, from Lynemouth in Northumberland, was born with Larsen’s syndrome, a rare genetic condition which causes dislocation of the bones.
Dylan Marshall, 10, can barely walk due to Larsen’s syndrome – which causes dislocation of bones – but that won’t stop him completing the 4k Junior Great North Run this weekend, and stepping out of his wheelchair to cross the finish line
His mother Victoria Marshall (pictured left) was terrified when Dylan (pictured left and right) had to undergo a seven-hour operation in which doctors predicted there was just a 15 per cent chance he would survive without dying, being paralysed, or requiring a ventilator for the rest of his life
After seeing his mother Victoria Marshall, 33, complete the Great North Run last year he decided that although he may finish last, his condition would not stop him stepping over the finish line.
‘I love the Great North Run,’ he said.
‘On Saturday I’ll come in last – I hope I still get a medal – but I want to get up and go across the finish line.’
At just 14 months old Dylan’s spine became dislocated and his vertebrae began pushing down on his spinal cord, threatening to paralyse him.
He underwent pioneering surgery at Newcastle General Hospital, in which four of his neck bones were removed and replaced with one of his lower left ribs.
A second operation then attempted to fuse the rib to the rest of his spine, meaning he was forced to wear a ‘halo’ to ensure he could not move his head for months on end.
His neck became so fragile that, aged three, he tripped over a plant pot and snapped the newly-grafted rib.
Doctors fitted him with metal rods to support his head, but the procedure led to further problems.
‘When he broke the rib doctors put in metal rods at the front of his neck to support it, but when he grew the metal couldn’t change and he ended up with both a compression and decompression of his neck,’ said Mrs Marshall.
He went under the knife again, with surgeons at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital predicting just a 15 per cent chance that he would survive the procedure without dying, being paralysed or requiring a ventilator for the rest of his life.
Mrs Marshall said she was terified, not knowing what would happen to her son.
She said: ‘The operation took seven-and-a-half hours and when he came out he couldn’t move – we didn’t know what would happen.’
Months of physiotherapy and orthopaedic therapy followed, with support from friends and his family.
Now Dylan is all set for the run this weekend.Â
He is fundraising to say thank you to the Sick Children’s Trust, which in both Newcastle and London provided a ‘home away from home’ for his mum and dad while he was undergoing treatment.
He has already raised £500 smashing his fundraising target of £150. By the time he steps out of his chair on Saturday, he hopes to have raised hundreds more.
Visit Dylan’s Just Giving page to donate.
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