Ref.10627ARMY chiefs flew Corporal Fraser McNaught, 26, home from Iraq after his six-year-old son, who suffers from leukaemia, was taken gravely ill.

His son Daniel contracted a bacterial blood infection while his father was in Az Zubayr, 15km outside Basra, working as a recovery mechanic with Buckley 9 Supply Regiment.

The leukaemia meant his immune system was unable to fight the infection and at first doctors did not know what was wrong with him or how to treat it.

His mother Claire, 27, contacted the military welfare officer telling them her son was seriously ill and within 12 hours her husband was on a plane home.

After ten days in hospital Daniel was able to return home to the family's quarters at Buckley barracks, Hullavington, where he will continue to receive antibiotics.

Daniel was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in April 2002 when Corp McNaught was stationed in Cyprus.

The family moved back to Britain immediately and Daniel was admitted to Bristol Children's Hospital.

His parents first noticed something was wrong with him when they discovered he was getting bruised very easily.

Corp McNaught said: "We had no idea what was wrong with him. When we found out, well, it is every parent's nightmare. It was hard trying to tell a five-year-old what is happening to them."

"We had nowhere to live at first but Cancer and Leukaemia in Children charity found us a residential home at the hospital. Then I got a compassionate posting at Hullavington."

For the first year Daniel had intensive treatment and was transferred to the paediatric ward at Bath RUH.

For the first year's treatment Daniel received his medication through transfusions and at times he was on nine different types of drugs.

His hair fell out in clumps but his parents were able to warn him about this so he was able to cope with it.

Corp McNaught said: "He thought it was funny and was not shocked because we told him beforehand.

"But he used to get annoyed at people staring at him.

"The first year was terrible. He was in and out of hospital. He was on intravenous drugs taken over a six-hour period."

For the last two years of the three year treatment programme Daniel goes into hospital for a couple of hours three or four times a month and has chemotherapy in tablet form.

When Corp McNaught was rushed back to Britain, his friends at the Regimental Workshops decided they wanted to do something to help.

The troops organised a sponsored Foden pull and heaved a 27.5-ton truck around a one and a half mile circuit in 34 minutes. They also organised a singing contest and a charity raffle.

"I got a call telling me what they had done and I was amazed, it was totally out of the blue. I had no idea," said Corp McNaught.

Center Parcs also donated a free week's holiday at its resort in Longleat in September.

Corp McNaught said: "I would really like to thank the regiment and workshop. I also want to say thank you for all the help we have had from the British Army and from CLIC.

Mrs McNaught said they were also hugely grateful to the Benevolent Fund and Soldiers, Sailors and Airforce Family Fund which had paid for a holiday back to Cyprus.

Daniel, who has a younger brother William, three, is now back on his feet and doing well. He now hopes to return to Stanton St Quintin Primary School when term starts in September.

Corp Mc Naught said: "He is taking it in his stride. He knows just as much about it as we do.

"He tells the nurses what they should be doing,"