A five-year-old boy was rushed to Alder Hey for a five-hour operation on his ear after suffering from an ear infection.
Sam Hawksworth, from Southport, was struggling with an infection when his mum, Emma, noticed his ear had started to swell in February 2018.
He was taken to Ormskirk Hospital where a CT scan showed the infection had spread through the bone and was affecting the underlying blood vessels that drain blood from his brain.
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As a result, he had developed two abscesses and a blood clot in an important vessel inside his skull.
After being rushed to Alder Hey in the early hours, Sam went under the knife for five hours. The initial danger was gone but Sam was kept in hospital for two weeks where he was seen by a number of specialists with concerns for his brain, eyes and heart following the infection.
He was eventually allowed home and in April 2018 he was taken off of his IV medication.
But just few a months later, a brain scan revealed Sam had raised intracranial pressure, and in June 2018, he was taken back into hospital for a lumbar puncture.
As a result, he was placed on a three year treatment plan which affected the way he lived and restricted his ability to do certain activities.
Emma, 39, told the ECHO: "In the June he had to have a lumbar puncture done and he was then commenced on a treatment programme that lasted three years. He was seen constantly by neurology then to make sure the pressure wasn't going to have any lasting effects because it can cause blindness and lasting effects like that.
"He was finally taken off his medication last summer, the end of August last summer. He was discharged from neurology three or four months ago, finally. He's still under EMT."
Emma added: "Whilst he was on all his medication and stuff he wasn't allowed to fly, he wasn't allowed to exert himself, he wasn't allowed to play contact sports, anything like that and this kid loves football. He wasn't allowed to do any of these things and now finally he's come off all his medication.
"He was classed as vulnerable when the first lockdown started as he was still on his medication so we had to shield during the first national lockdown in 2020 but luckily he was off his meds after that. Now he plays football for his local team, he trains, plays matches and he's even got a semi-final on Sunday.
"Things like that. He's such a happy boy and such a kind boy. I think having to spend so much time in the hospital with some really sick kids has given him so much appreciation to be happy and healthy."
The mum-of-two praised Alder Hey as well for their outstanding care now Sam, nine, is happy and healthy
She said: "It was frightening, it was scary but I cannot sing the praises of Alder Hey enough. They were there, the specialist treatment he received, everything that they did for him. He wouldn't be here today without them.
"We're just so lucky to have that facility here on our doorstep."
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