A mum who believes her son went blind due to water contamination at his school is planning to travel to Germany for specialist treatment.
Josephine Morgan thinks chemicals from the St Ambrose and Buchanan High shared campus in Coatbridge are the cause of her son Tommi’s eye problems.
The school was built on a former industrial waste site and hit the headlines over claims “blue water” ran from taps.
However, an independent review commissioned by the Scottish Government in 2019 found no link to ill health.
Tommi was 13 when, in 2018, he lost his sight completely after suddenly developing an ulcer on his right cornea.
Josephine, 44, claims he also tested positive for heavy metal poisoning.
She has now launched a Just Giving page and is fundraising to travel to Berlin for Tommi to undergo electrical stimulation therapy at a clinic specialising in restorative eye procedures.
She explained: “Tommi losing his sight devastated him and turned his whole life upside down.
“Even if this gives him 10 per cent vision, as his mum, I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t do everything to help him.
“They say there is a high chance they can help restore some of his vision.” It will cost £12,000 for Tommi, who has autism, to undergo the 10-day treatment.
His former school campus was built on the former landfill site used by Gartsherrie Ironworks for industrial waste between 1945 and 1972.
Josephine added: “I mentioned the blue water and the school being built on an old industrial waste site and Tommi’s consultant who looked after his eyes told me it was ‘very relevant’ and got him tested for heavy metal poisoning.
"I then got a call from the local GP when the results came in and was absolutely horrified he was positive.”
John Logan, Public Health Consultant at NHS Lanarkshire, said: “A detailed investigation by the NHS Lanarkshire Directorate of Public Health was carried out in relation to St Ambrose and Buchanan High Schools which found no evidence of any health risks associated with the schools.”
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