Baby loses all four limbs after throat infection turns to sepsis and tot’s leg comes off in mum’s hand
A BABY has lost all four limbs after a throat infection turned into sepsis and his leg came off in his mum's hand.
Brave 11-month-old Oliver Aisthorpe has made a miraculous recovery after doctors warned mum Abigail Wardle, 23, that her son wasn't going to pull through.
Even after beating the infection, Abigail, from Cleethorpes, Lincs, had to endure the horror of Oliver's leg self-amputating and coming away in her hand as she held him in his hospital bed.
But now, just a few weeks on, Oliver is back home and making an incredible recovery - and medics even hope he could have his first prosthetic legs fitted in a few months.
SPEAKING OUT
Courageous Abigail has chosen to speak out about their sepsis hell in a bid to help other parents learn how to spot the signs of the killer bug that little Oliver caught from an undiagnosed throat infection.
Abigail, a jewellery designer, said: "Some people might feel sorry for us but I feel like the luckiest mum in the world - I still have Oliver with us - he might not have any hands or feet but he is still my smiley, brave little boy.
"What we went through was horrendous and I had never been so scared in my life.
"But Oliver was so brave that I knew I had to be brave too. I am his mum and it's my job to fight for him and make him feel safe.
He went from laughing and giggling to death's door within 48 hours and nobody knew what was wrong with him
Abigail Wardle
"He went from laughing and giggling to death's door within 48 hours and nobody knew what was wrong with him.
"I don't want any other family to go through what we went through, and so I want everyone to be more aware of sepsis - families but also GPs, who sometimes don't have the specialist paediatric training available to spot it.
"I want some good to come out of what happened to Oliver."
SEPSIS BATTLE
Abigail first took her son to an out-of-hours GP on Saturday, March 16, when she noticed his soft spot appeared to be sunken and she worried he was dehydrated.
But she says a GP sent her home and told her to give him fluids and Calpol.
But by the next day, he had deteriorated - and Abigail again took Oliver to see an out of hours GP.
What is sepsis?
SEPSIS is a killer condition triggered by an infection - including meningitis, pneumonia and urinary infections.
It's where the immune system goes into overdrive and attacks the body.
It can lead to organ failure and septic shock.
Signs in a child
Although sepsis is a rare condition, it can be deadly if not treated quickly.
According to the , you should take your child to A&E immediately if they feel "abnormally cold to touch" or is "very lethargic or difficult to wake".
Additionally, if your child has developed a blue tone to their skin, looks very pale or is "breathing very fast" then this is reason to call 999.
Another crucial symptom of sepsis is a "rash that does not fade when you press it".
You should also seek urgent medical attention by calling 111 if your child is finding it difficult to speak, making "grunting noises with every breath" or has developed a worryingly high or low temperature.
In older children, sepsis can also cause diarrhoea, less frequent urination, clammy skin and slurred speech.
Symptoms in babies
Due to their weak immune systems, parents of toddlers and babies have to be extra vigilant when looking out for symptoms of sepsis.
A temperature of over 39C or below 36C in babies aged three to six months warrants a call to 111.
If your child is struggling to eat or drink and not wet their nappy for over 12 hours, then this could also be a sign of the life-threatening condition.
You should also seek urgent medical attention if your baby has developed a bulging soft spot on their head.
Young children with sunken eyes who are physically weak, whining and crying could also be suffering from sepsis.
Doctors discovered that the sepsis had developed from an undiagnosed throat infection - which Oliver had never shown any symptoms of.
They managed to stabilise Oliver but warned Abigail that if he deteriorated they would not be able to save him.
Incredibly, the little boy pulled through - and survived with no damage to his brain, but the sepsis has caused both hands and his legs to turn black and effectively die off.
LIFE WITHOUT LIMBS
Medics battled to save length in Oliver's leg, but mum Abigail begged them to speed the operation along because she could see the leg self-amputating.
She said: "The limbs were heavy and uncomfortable - Oliver was miserable, I know it sounds like an odd thing for a mother to say but I was desperate for them to take them off.
Once he had his limbs removed, he was like a different child - so happy and full of life, it seemed like a relief for him
Abigail Wardle
"One day, a nurse was helping me lift Oliver from his bouncy chair back into the bed, and his leg just came away.
"Once he had his limbs removed, he was like a different child - so happy and full of life, it seemed like a relief for him."
Last month, Oliver was discharged from hospital and is now getting used to life without his limbs.
Abigail added: "I am just so proud of Oliver.
"He has taken everything in his stride and is just so incredibly resilient. He makes me smile every day.
"Already, he is trying to work out how to roll over and play with his toys with his stumps."
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She added: "I could have come out of the other end of this with no son, so that's what I focus on.
"We have our bad days, but I know that there will be better days to come.
"I want his story to be used to help spread awareness and teach other parents and GPs who maybe don't have specialist paediatric training, about the signs of sepsis."
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