A mum-of-three has shared the heartbreaking ordeal her little boy has suffered after a freak accident while playing football with his friends left him with a life-changing injury - saying the pain is "stripping" him of his childhood.
Aspiring footballer Brendan was playing on the pitch when he accidentally fell into a hole and began complaining of an intense pain across his left ankle.
Mum Hayley Greig, 42, took him straight home to rest but within mere hours, the 12-year-old's entire foot had turned "black" and medics were baffled by his case.
After being diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome in May 2022, the poor boy has been left unable to walk and even begged his mum to "cut off his foot".
Hayley told the Mirror: "I want nothing more than to have my happy little boy back, but his childhood is slipping away each day.
"It's been so frustrating and heartbreaking to watch, as we've gone back and forth for such a long time to figure out a way to treat the pain.
"He even looked at me one evening with such hurt in his eyes and begged for me to cut off his foot.
"I feel completely helpless and the mental trauma this has had on my son is more than he can cope with.
"He used to be obsessed with football and always had a dream of one day playing for Manchester United or England. Now, his aspirations have been stripped away from him."
Hayley recalls her ex-partner delivering the news in November 2021, and while she wasn't initially concerned, she had a hunch it was quite serious due to the nature of the phone call.
For the mum-of-three, alarm bells started ringing the next morning as her son's ankle had turned entirely "black" and felt ice cold to the touch, which she compared to a "ghost foot".
Quickly, he was rushed to Cumberland Infirmary and was given a cast for three weeks, before switching to a moon boot for another month.
Soon, Brendan started experiencing constant debilitating pain and as the mum started to become even more concerned about his well-being, he was referred to a trauma consultant.
There, he was diagnosed with the condition, a neurological imbalance that causes chronic pain following an injury.
Speaking about the ordeal, Hayley said: "He's had injuries like this several times and as a football parent, I wasn't concerned.
"I remember thinking it was broken as he couldn't put any weight on it, but a scan revealed it was only a fracture.
"It wasn't pleasant seeing him in all this pain, as he was out of football for a while and this broke him.
"I kept trying to keep him positive and comfort him, but I had a fear in the back of my mind that he would never return to playing.
"When we learned about his condition, we were told that even though his foot is no longer injured, his nervous system is still firing pain signals.
"Unfortunately, there's no cure, but there are forms of treatment to help, such as multiple types of medication and others, which are very expensive."
Currently, the 12-year-old takes around 11 tablets per day, but Hayley claims their effect is minimal and her son is still intensely suffering daily.
While he's undergoing psychotherapy, there are other forms of treatment available – but at £17,000 a pop, the family are desperately searching for another option.
Currently, Hayley, who is also mum to Lewis, 19, and Keeley, 14, has raised £3,595, exceeding their original end goal of £2,500 - but now hopes to raise £15,000 in total.
She said: "My aim is to raise enough to go to Texas and use the machine called The Vecctor which helps alleviate the pain.
"It works through running a series of frequencies and electrodes which help to dampen the pain signals.
"I've seen other boys who have started to walk again and their pain has subsided to a rate where they're able to continue with daily life after undergoing this.
"I'm willing to do anything to help him, I'll even travel across the whole world - but it's just so expensive because little is known about the condition.
"I can't bear to watch my boy suffer any longer."
For now, until they have raised enough money, the 42-year-old is focusing on her son's mental well-being, which has taken a significant toll.
Hayley added: "He's deteriorated rapidly to the point where he's been placed on a priority list for therapy because he's classed as a danger to himself.
"My fears are that he won't ever get into remission and how his life is going to be, especially with his education, friends and jobs.
"I'm so worried and concerned about what lies for him. If he did get the treatment, words couldn't even describe how happy that would make us - but for now, getting him to walk is the goal.
"It's the small steps we're taking before we can take big strides that matters the most.
"He'll always experience pain and we have a long road ahead of us. But I'm determined to get my little boy back on his feet."
Do you have a real-life story to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
