Schoolboy who was almost killed by a kickabout in the park
Player, 14, hit by football suffered bleed on brain
A TEENAGER almost died after being hit on the head by a football during a kickabout with friends.
Doctors diagnosed concussion a week after the freak accident and gave Owen Mathieson, 14, painkillers.
But he had suffered bleeding on the brain. The following day, he was taken to hospital.
Doctors removed part of his skull during life-saving surgery and secured it back in place with titanium screws.
Owen, from Wick, Caithness, suffered paralysis down one side of his body and lost his speech.
He spent eight weeks in hospital following the incident in mid-July and even now can only go to school part-time.
His mother Maria Mathieson, 42, said: ‘It was a freak accident really, which you would never think would have resulted in the way it did. He was playing football with his friends and got knocked on the head with the ball. That was it.
‘A week later he had a lump on his head and headaches and we took him to hospital. They said he had concussion and it would take a week until his headaches would go away. We had to come back to see another doctor.
‘They did a CT scan and blood tests and realised it was something more severe. He had a small bleed and the bleed got infected. It was a scary thing.
‘If we had left it, he could have ended up with severe disabilities. If we had left him to suffer another week, he might not be here today.
‘The doctor said there was a risk he could die in the operahim tion. It was very scary seeing him in so much pain. It was traumatic for all the family.’
Owen was playing in goal during the kickabout at a local park. He went to save a shot and was hit very hard on the forehead by the ball. He had a swelling above his eye, as well as a high temperature, headaches and sensitivity to light.
After a week, his mother took to Caithness General Hospital in Wick, where he was diagnosed with concussion and given painkillers.
The following day, after his symptoms worsened, medics discovered a life-threatening bleed between his skull and brain. Owen was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary before being taken to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, where he began losing his speech and was left paralysed down his right hand side.
His mother yesterday said she was critical of the doctors. The early years practitioner added: ‘If they had just taken bloods when we first took him in, they would have seen something was not right. I would say to any parent with concerns to fight to make sure checks are done straight away.
‘Owen has been very lucky. If we had left him another day he might not be here today or could have suffered brain damage.
‘One of the doctors I spoke to in Edinburgh said he could not believe we had no paediatrician in Caithness. I feel very strongly that we should.’
Owen needed an emergency operation to flush out the blood from his brain.
He now has titanium screws to hold his skull in place and has been advised not to play football for at least six months.
He has missed a whole term at Wick High School and may miss his National 5 exams next year.
Mrs Mathieson said: ‘We go back to hospital for a check-up next month, so hopefully he gets the all-clear.’
A spokesman for NHS Highland said: ‘We are sorry that Mrs Mathieson has concerns about the service she would expect from NHS Highland.
‘There is no on-site paediatrics service in Caithness as we simply could not sustain it.’
Last year, brain injury experts called for an independent review into on-field head injuries.
‘It was a freak accident’