Toddler home after US surgery

A two-year-old Kerry boy who successfully underwent pioneering brain surgery in the US earlier this month to help him overcome…

A two-year-old Kerry boy who successfully underwent pioneering brain surgery in the US earlier this month to help him overcome a potentially fatal disease arrived back in Ireland today, a week earlier than expected.

The rare disorder of the genetic system claimed the life of Liam Heffernan's only sibling, Saoirse (5) earlier this year.

The boy's grandfather, Michael Carey from Kenmare, said the family was delighted he was back

The child from, Keel, Co Kerry, underwent the surgery on Tuesday, May 4th at the Weill Cornell University Hospital in New York.

Liam is the world's youngest ever child to undergo the operation, which involved the drilling of six holes in his skull to allow the gene transfer treatment to be administered to 12 locations in his brain.