A schoolboy has been hailed as a 'true hero' by his mum after having his leg amputated after a horrific battle with Strep A. Jake Bond, 6, was left fighting for his life in hospital after catching the infection last December.
Strep A - known by its medical term group A streptococcus - are bacteria found on the skin or in the throat, which can cause disease. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, rashes and nausea.
Tragically, after four weeks in hospital, Jake's condition developed into Sepsis. And despite having two operations to save his leg, he's now had to have a through-knee amputation.
But Jake's mum Victoria has told how her brave boy is coping with the amputation well and has even nicknamed his stump 'Peanut.' She said: "Jake told the surgeons on the day to send his leg up to the rainbow as he wanted it to run free, he also wanted to be free from it and free from pain.
"Jake woke up from surgery and wanted to see his stump, he called it Peanut as that's what it looked like. He is a true hero, he has his good days and bad but his strong, independent self and silly sense of humour has got him through this."
Jake was sent home from school on December 1 after vomiting and had a high temperature. Two days later, he was rushed to hospital, where he would spend the next four weeks fighting for his life.
Victoria says he deteriorated quickly and was put on a ventilator after suffering a respiratory arrest. Jake was later transferred to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, where doctors told Victoria he only had a 5% chance of survival.
Victoria said she feels 'lucky' Jake is still alive, despite the fact that he lost his leg. She said: “He was not meant to survive and was one of the sickest boys in the hospital.
"We are so lucky that Jake is still with us and that he survived Strep A, but at the same time he lost his leg. "His toes had died back in December when all of this began so we knew some amputation was going to happen, we just didn't know how much of the leg they were going to save.
"At that time all that mattered was Jake’s life."
The mum-of-two has said Jake is currently waiting to get his bionic leg and that he cannot wait 'to be a six-year-old again.'
Victoria, of Clitheroe, Lancs, said: "Jake can't wait to get his bionic leg soon and hopes to return to school and be able to do all the things he has missed out on. He just wants to be a six-year-old again.
"We are closing one chapter of Jake's story and starting a fresh new one."
