Cold left Jamie fighting for life

AT THE age of just three Jamie Thomas fell ill with what seemed just to be a normal cold – but it left him fighting for his life.

From the age of about 12 months the tot struggled to shake off common infections and they often developed into bad chest infections or croup for which he was frequently admitted to hospital.

But last November his condition severely deteriorated and he was admitted to the Jungle Ward at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales.

After having a chest X-ray, Jamie was diagnosed with pneumonia and taken to the critical care unit.

While his mother Natasha Wall sat at his bedside, she said it was like “watching him disappear in front of their eyes”.

“He was turning grey and the life seemed to be draining from him,” she said.

“Doctors explained that the next few hours would be critical.”

Natasha, from Cardiff, said she “watched Jamie constantly as he drifted in and out of consciousness, willing him to pull through”.

But she said the nurses at Noah’s Ark came to their aid at that awful time.

“They seemed to sympathise with my pain and talked to me, asking all sorts of questions about him and what sort of things he liked.

“They went above and beyond what was asked of them and it genuinely felt like it was more than just a job for them.”

Jamie’s condition began to improve by the next day and, by late afternoon, he was well enough to leave critical care.

After a few more days in hospital Jamie was well enough to go home.

He has since been diagnosed as anaemic and atopic, meaning that he has a predisposition to developing certain allergic hypersensitivity reactions.

Jamie has been readmitted to hospital several times since but his condition has not been so serious.

Natasha added that the family try to keep life as normal as possible for Jamie but it can be difficult with hospital admissions, clinic appointments, and daily medication.

They are now taking part in the Noah’s Ark Charity Family Fun Walk in Cardiff Bay on Sunday, September 17.

Natasha added: “We want to give back to the amazing children’s hospital that saved him – to change someone else’s darkest day in to a better one.

“It’s something little on our part that could make a big difference to another family.”

Registration for the event costs £5 per person which includes a free T-shirt and bottle of water.

Fancy dress is optional and there will be various activities to keep younger participants entertained on the day.

The route is completely accessible to pushchairs and wheelchair users.

To sign up, visit noahsarkcharity. org/events/familyfunwalk2017