Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Milo home to give parents greatest gift
A TOT born with no immune system made it home for Christmas with his mum and dad.
Milo Knight, 10 months, was so fragile that he lived in a sterile bubble at a children’s ward 150 miles away.
He was diagnosed with severe combined immunodeficiency, so rare he could only be treated at Great Ormond Street, London, or Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.
But seven months on he has a new immune system as dad James, 28, donated stem cells for a bone marrow op in Newcastle.
Mum Tazmin, 28, of Hull, East Yorks, said: “To have him home is something we daren’t dream of.
“We put the Christmas tree up together and he even had a stocking. This is the best present ever.” three in 10 of those aged 55 and over. Seven in 10 young adults report feeling lonely, compared with one-third of the older generation.
They are also more likely to go without company for longer periods. More than half of young people (52%) say they find it difficult to make friends.
People surveyed admitted they have caught a bus, gone to a coffee shop or gone shopping for human contact.
Loneliness is particularly high in London, with 60% of adults admitting to feeling lonely. The “least lonely” regions are Wales and the East Midlands, both on 46%.
Laura Alcock-ferguson, executive director of the Campaign to End Loneliness, said: “We know it can affect people at any age. It is very positive to see younger people are able to
HOPES THINGS WILL CHANGE
be open about their experiences. The stigma is deeply isolating and we hope younger people can help drive a change in culture that will eradicate that stigma.
“We know older people tend to feel the stigma more. Our 2017 research into attitudes to loneliness found more than half of adults say admitting to loneliness is difficult.
“More than three-quarters of over65s would find it hard to admit to feeling lonely because they do not want to be a burden.
“We need to remain vigilant to ensure older people aren’t overlooked. This is a swiftly growing demographic. The number of lonely over-50s is set to hit two million within seven years.
“Older people are still far more likely to experience chronic loneliness, with devastating health impacts.”
Comres surveyed 2,085 adults online between November 9 and 11.