Teen allergic to dust and water in constant pain
LIKE any teenager, Ben Woolford wants nothing more than to be able to go out and play football with his friends.
But even the smallest tasks have become almost impossible for the 13-year-old, as severe eczema and allergies have left him in constant discomfort and pain.
Every day the allergies cause severe reactions to his skin and cause his eyes to swell. Sometimes it gets so bad that Ben, from Penygraig in the Rhondda, struggles to see and has to spend all day in bed.
Following countless tests and hospital visits, doctors have said he is allergic to dust, dust mites and even water, which can make taking a shower difficult. It all started about four years ago, according to Ben’s mother Jemma.
“He started getting sore eyes. We thought it might have been hay fever because his skin was dry and it was summer,” Jemma, 37, said.
“We also thought maybe he could have been allergic to the rabbits, so we had to get rid of them and find them a new home.”
Ben continued to take hay fever medication throughout the summer but nothing seemed to help ease the irritation.
By the time winter arrived Ben and his family realised the irritation was related to something more serious than a pollen allergy.
“We were back and forth to the doctors,” said Jemma. “His skin and eyes were getting worse so we were referred to the hospital to see a consultant.”
Since then Ben has been regularly seeing four consultants for his skin, eyes and allergies.
“As the years have gone on we’ve seen loads of different doctors,” Jemma said. “They basically said that Ben’s immune system is attacking its own cells rather than fighting off the allergies.”
Ben’s condition has become so severe that it is now causing serious damage to his eyes.
“The allergies cause his eyes to swell and are causing damage to the corneas, which in time can affect his sight,” Jemma said.
“There are some days where he can’t see at all and he’s in bed all day. He can’t even open his eyes.
“He’s a 13-year-old boy – he just wants to be out with his friends. He loves football. He’s played his whole life but now there are days where he can’t go.
“He has days where he’s great but he also has days where he feels terrible.”
Ben takes a mixture of steroids and chemotherapy drops for his eyes, as well as anti-allergy drugs and creams for his skin.
He underwent a number of tests in an attempt to discover what he is allergic to.
“They found out he was allergic to dust, dust mites and water, which also makes him bad. Taking a shower and washing really irritates him.
“When he has to wash all of his creams off in the night he jumps out of the bath and is almost crying, shouting: ‘Quick, quick – I need my cream.’
“I have to be there ready with the cream when he comes out. Sometimes I honestly don’t know what to do to help him.
“He misses so much school and he didn’t miss a day before all of this. It’s really affecting his life.
“When he’s upset it makes it worse. He was really upset one day because someone in school had called him ‘flaky’. He told me he doesn’t want to go to school any more.”
Jemma, who is a stayat-home mum and has four other children, said she sometimes has to go to Ben’s school – which is about nine miles away – with creams.
“He says ‘Please don’t, mam’ but it’s got to be done. He’s stressed all the time. Just before Christmas he was quite depressed. He said he hated being like this. He said: ‘I wish I was dead, I hate being like this’.”
Jemma said Ben has suffered a number of other complications and infections, including shingles.
“He spent the whole summer being ill and it absolutely broke his heart.
“He also started losing his hair. We initially thought he had alopecia from the stress but luckily it’s grown back now.”
During a recent visit to the hospital doctors suggested Ben try a new immunotherapy treatment. But funding is not available to him on the NHS.
“Ben worked himself up for weeks thinking he was going to be having the treatment. He said it was a miracle. He was absolutely heartbroken when he found out he couldn’t have it.”
Jemma has started fundraising in an attempt to pay for Ben’s treatment.
To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/ immunotherapytreatment-for-ben