Emotional tributes have been paid to the “world’s most allergic boy ” who has died aged 20.
Paul Braithwaite, 20, was the only Brit to ever be diagnosed with eosinophilic gastroenteropathy.
The rare condition meant Paul would vomit and have rashes after contact with sunlight, grass, fabric, dust and animals, as well as avoiding several types of food.
The medication had several side effects including stunting growth, meaning he was the size of an average 11-year-old when he died in hospital in Hull this week, Hull Live reported.
Mum Kelly Thornton said: “He took everything in his stride, nothing got him down, he just made a joke out of everything.
“He was a really happy little boy in his younger days, but he became more conscious of his illness when he became older and began to lock himself away in his bedroom.
"He had such complex needs and was so embarrassed by everything that he didn't want others to see him.
"It was hard to see as his mum as I never thought he should be ashamed of himself. He did have one friend who came a couple of hours a week, but he was mainly in his own little world, which he liked.
"In the last two years, he really started deteriorating and he was hoping he would get well enough to get a dog and start going out more. However, that never happened.
“There was only so much he could do with his life though. In 2012, he went swimming with dolphins in Florida, he'd try anything he could though. His endless allergies and medication prevented him from doing a lot sadly.
"He really was a one off though, a real character. I always called him my 'little fighter' because he loved WWE too."
Paul, from Grimsby, won the hearts of many during his life such as Eamonn Holmes who paid for astro turf in his back garden at home so the fellow Manchester United fan could play football.
He also received a letter from former England manager Fabio Capello praising his bravery.
Kelly added: “I'm not coping at all. I cared for him around the clock for 20 years, we were inseparable, I stayed by his side continuously.
“He wasn't ready to go, that's what makes it so bad.
"There wasn't a bad bone in his body though, you couldn't fault him.
“My happiest memories are seeing him in gaming shops and enjoying himself."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise funds for the family.
