Teenage Boy Not Allowed to Go Near Pregnant Women Because of a Contagious Virus

A 14-year old boy from England was never allowed to go near any pregnant woman because of a rare virus that may cause disabilities among unborn babies, the Daily Mail reports.

Bryant Hackett, 14, suffers from cytomegalovirus (CMV) which is usually harmless to adults but can cause serious disabilities among unborn babies. As a result, he is being forced to attend an all-boys school and has been advised by medics to avoid close contact with expectant women. At present, Hackett is even unable to come into close contact with her sister who is expecting a baby in less than a few weeks.

"I miss my sister a lot and I can't wait until she gives birth. She is due in a few weeks," said Bryant. He was first diagnosed with the virus in July of last year after a rare strain of hepatitis he believes he picked up while on vacation in Majorca left him with a range of health problems. Since then, he has developed liver failure and ended up with a blood platelet count of just four. He also suffered from bone marrow failure and has undergone two bone marrow transplants which initially required him to undergo chemotherapy.

Bryant's immune system was also weakened so he suffered from pneumonia which his mother claims almost cost him his life. His mother, Leanne, 36, said: "At one point, I honestly thought he was going to die. He had to have chemotherapy to get rid of all of his own blood platelets, otherwise they would have clashed with the transplants. Bryant lost all of his hair, he was very sick. He is a teenager, and teenage boys usually like to be around girls."