Boy wins his battle against pneumonia

Jun 13 2008 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

THE mother of a boy who had a potentially life-threatening form of pneumonia last night urged people to donate to the Puffin Appeal.

Ann Stokoe’s 12-year-old son David had abscesses in his lungs the size of eggs and his parents feared the worst.

Mrs Stokoe believes that money donated to The Puffin Appeal – an effort to raise funds for a world-class respiratory unit in the North East – could prevent other families going through such turmoil.

David suffered from Pneumonia Streptococcus – a rare form of the disease – and his lung had become stuck to his chest wall.

In the six months following Good Friday 2006, he was extremely unwell and underwent three operations.

But now, football and cricket fan David, of Hawthorn View, Thornley, Durham, a pupil at nearby Wellfield Senior School, can lead a perfectly normal life – albeit with some lung damage.

Mrs Stokoe, 41, said: “We thought we were never going to have the David that we used to have. He has been great these last six months.

“He was a sick little lad and we really feared the worst. For them to do what they have done and for us to have the healthy boy we have got now is absolutely amazing.”

Mrs Stokoe – a housewife – and David’s brother Michael, 18, had both had flu and got better, but David fell ill and didn’t show any signs of improvement.

“Something wasn’t right,” Mrs Stokoe said. “Whether it was motherly instinct or something, I knew there was a problem.”

David was taken to his local hospital then transferred to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle for major surgery.

“When he was in intensive care he was hooked up to lots of machinery, “ said Mrs Stokoe. “We were watching every breath he took, listening to every bleep on the machine. Just a little bleep and our hearts would be in our mouths.

“He could barely walk across the street and now he runs around the village.”

The prevalence of severe pneumonia among children has risen exponentially in recent years, a mystery Mrs Stokoe is alarmed by. “There doesn’t seem to be any pattern to it,” she said.

“A matter of five to 10 years ago David wouldn’t have survived. That’s how much they’ve advanced over a short period.

“The appeal can make sure that progress continues and more people benefit.”

Appeal to provide world-class service

THE Puffin Appeal is aiming to raise funds for a world-class childhood respiratory unit in Newcastle.

It has been set up in the hope of generating £2m to improve the lives of children with conditions such as cystic fibrosis (CF), severe pneumonia and asthma.

A new building is currently under construction on the Royal Victoria Infirmary site in Newcastle and space has been set aside for the respiratory unit.

Some of the money raised by the appeal will go towards an academic department for paediatric respiratory research.

The rest will also go towards spacious, modern treatment rooms and a general effort to raise the quality of care for patients.

To donate to the Puffin Appeal visit www.puffinappeal.com or write to The Puffin Appeal, No. 7 Beaufront Castle, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 4LT.