William Tuckwell had the pioneering surgery after being unable to breathe, swallow or eat without medical assistance his whole life, and can now look forward to joining in with his friends
A seven-year-old boy has had his jaw rebuilt using his own ribs so that he can finally go to sleepovers. William Tuckwell was born with Treacher Collins syndrome.
It meant that he’s been unable to breathe, swallow and eat without medical assistance his whole life. And he’s also missed out on childhood activities, such as swimming, school trips and sleepovers with friends.
Now, though, he’s had groundbreaking surgery to rebuild his lower jaw using bone grafts from his own ribs; making him entirely independent.
“I can’t wait to go down waterslides and have sleepovers at my friends’ house on my own,” William, from Bath, told NeedToKnow .
The genetic condition affects one in every 50,000 children worldwide, according to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston.
It disrupted the development of his facial bones in the womb, severely restricting the growth of his lower jaw, which caused his tongue to block his airway.
William was also born with a cleft palate. At just one-day-old, he was transferred to St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol and spent three months in the NICU.
Two weeks later, he had undergone a tracheostomy, in which a breathing tube is inserted through the neck.
Since then, he’s had three jaw-lengthening surgeries, which includes the aforementioned rebuild in May 2025, allowing his tracheostomy to be safely removed.
William’s mum, Kate, said: “After the tracheostomy was removed, the first thing we did was head to our local play park with a bouncy castle and celebrate with a milkshake.
“This most recent surgery is truly life-changing for William and our whole family. The coordination of his care has been exemplary. We are forever indebted.”
The operation took seven hours in total. A custom external frame was attached to gradually lengthen his lower jaw and once the new bone had strengthened, the frame was removed.
William, who lives with his mum, dad Nick and 10-year-old sister Alex, will go through one final stage in his treatment plan in spring 2026.
Surgeons will close the stoma in his neck and carry out further work to support his speech.
Alistair Cobb, consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston, said: “This treatment isn’t new, but it is complex and rarely offered in so many aspects by a single, integrated team.
“What makes this even more special is that we’ve been able to provide every aspect of care locally, under one roof, from reconstructive surgery and airway management to cleft palate repair, speech therapy, specialised dentistry and hearing implants.
“We are absolutely thrilled with the results of the surgery.
“This achievement highlights not only the exceptional expertise of our clinical teams but also the power of true interdisciplinary collaboration at UHBW.”
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