The 5-year-old with “bubble boy” disease who asked supporters to wear yellow before his second bone marrow transplant is still awaiting the procedure due to health problems.
A video of Seth Lane asking people to wear yellow on March 27 went viral last week after his family posted the touching clip on YouTube. But Jade Ruthven, a family friend who launched a GoFundMe page for Seth, told TODAY.com the boy’s transplant has been postponed.
“Seth has not had the transplant yet, he suffers with some other health issues and they cannot undergo transplant until he is well enough to do so,” Ruthven said today in an email, adding that Seth had gallstones and a small infection in his lung.
“It’s vital that Seth is well enough to undergo the transplant,” she said. “If he’s not, he might not make it—but that’s not even worth thinking about. What’s important is that he gets better. Doesn’t really matter when.”
The Lane family lives in Northamptonshire, England, but Seth’s request was heard worldwide. Countless people wore the boy’s favorite color on March 27 and posted photos on social media using the hashtag, #WearYellowForSeth. Celebrities, professional athletes—even the cast of “Sesame Street—also joined the cause, helping raise awareness of Seth’s story and his condition, severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).
The Lane family posted a Facebook message thanking everyone for their support, and saying that they’re still going through all the photos that people submitted.
“We are still so amazed and thankful for the response yesterday!” they wrote. “Things are busy at the hospital at the moment but we will be working through and trying to see as much as physically possible!”
Ruthven said supporters who want to be updated on Seth’s journey should follow the family’s blog, “Our Little Hero.”
SCID is a rare condition in which children lack a functioning immune system. It’s often called “bubble disease” because patients practically have to live in a bubble to stay away from germs and prevent infections.