A MOTHER whose three-year-old son could have contracted a potentially fatal disease by petting farm animals is warning other parents to be on their guard.

Little Sam Gee was struck down by Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) as a result of coming into contact with the E coli germ, which can produce a poison called verotoxin which is believed to damage blood vessels and kidneys.

His mum, Emma, from Frederick Street, Sutton, told the Star: "Sam first became a bit off colour on Thursday, May 6. He had stomach pains and was a little bit constipated, but other than that there didn't seem to be much wrong with him.

Two days later, he developed diarrhoea and doctors at the out-of-hours surgery advised that he be given plenty of fluids.

"Then he started to vomit, was passing blood in his diarrhoea and also had a swollen scrotum. I took him back to the out-of-hours surgery, because they couldn't come out, and was told to continue to give him plenty of fluids and to see his doctor about the swelling as it could possibly be a hernia."

On the Monday, after a sleepless night with Sam, whose symptoms had worsened, Emma took him to see her own GP who advised that he be taken to Whiston Hospital. But after being monitored on the children's ward, Sam was sent home on the 'hospital at home scheme' which includes home visits from nurses.

The following day Sam was refusing to eat and the nurse decided that he should be sent back to hospital where he was put in isolation and on a drip for dehydration. By the Wednesday Sam had become bloated and jaundiced and it was thought that his kidneys may have shut down. He was transferred to Alder Hey Childrens Hospital, where they diagnosed HUS and told Emma that he would need dialysis if there was no improvement. On Thursday, May 13, Sam was put on dialysis and on Saturday, May 16, doctors decided to carry out a blood transfusion, after which he started to improve. On May 21 Sam developed problems when undergoing dialysis and he needed an immediate blood transfusion. An X-ray had shown that there was blood around his lung and the consultants decided to drain the blood and fluid. After surgery he was taken to the Intensive Care Unit.

Emma, said: "This was an horrendous time, although the doctors at Alder Hey were great. After the surgery I couldn't sleep with him in the ICU. This was the first time since he had become ill that I had been away from him and I was worried sick that I might not see him again." Sam was transferred to a normal ward after a day though and, thankfully, he started to improve quite rapidly after the operation. Eventually they were able to decrease the dialysis and on Friday, June 4, he was allowed to go home.

Now Sam is on the mend, although he will continue to have regular check-ups over the next three years to ensure that his kidneys have not suffered lasting damage.

Says Emma: "I nearly lost Sam after he contracted this illness and I wouldn't want anyone to go through what we have had to go through, which is why I've contacted the Star. We were told that Sam may have contracted the illness through food, or through petting farm animals and I would advise parents that if they take their children to a place where they are in contact with animals to make sure that they wash their hands thoroughly afterwards.

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