‘Teen’s eczema is so bad he’d rather be put in a coma’
ABRISTOL mum is desperate to find a cure for her teenage son after he said he’d “rather be placed in an induced coma” than suffer the severe eczema that keeps him up at night.
Miranda Rae, 50, said Barney, 14, “no longer has a life” due to his condition, which affects his whole body.
“The worst thing my son ever said was that he wanted to be put in an induced coma because he can’t bear the pain anymore,” she said.
“He has no life at the moment. He can’t even wear clothes because of the pain they cause when rubbing on his skin. I remember what it was like being 14 but I cannot imagine what this must be like, it breaks my heart and I would do anything to swap places with him but we just need to find out what the trigger is.
“He literally itches all the time, it never stops.”
Barney first developed the skin condition aged four and was prescribed a topical steroid ointment which kept his condition at bay for several years and eventually disappeared three years ago. However, in October last year his eczema returned but this time it was more aggressive.
“I remember him coming into my bedroom and he had pulled of his bandages in his sleep and was dripping in blood all over his body. He kept saying he just couldn’t believe he could do this to himself, “said Miss Rae.
Despite seeing a specialist dermatologist at Bristol Children’s Hospital, the pain and lack of sleep has become unbearable.
“He will go two nights with no sleep until he finally crashes because the itching keeps him awake. But then when he finally does sleep, he is so scared of the damage he could do,” she added.
The distressed mother said when using any ointment, steroid cream or emollient it is like applying “acid” on her son’s skin.
She said in June she applied a new emollient spray suggested by a doctor and within 24 hours her son “looked like an acid victim”.
“I don’t think they believed we really had tried everything,” she added.
Miranda has launched a Gofundme page to raise £20,000 in a bid to find a treatment.
She said the 14-year-old has just started a new treatment six weeks ago, but he is only on a child’s dose yet his size means he should actually be on an adult dose.
Having raised more than £12,000, Miss Rae was able to purchase an air conditioning unit to help her son cope during the recent summer heatwave.
Her son also required special water softener for bathing including shower equipment and special bedding.
Just a few weeks ago the community radio presenter was met with more difficulties after her roof started to leak and her car had broken down. But thanks to donations, the pair are able to continue their fight to find a cure.
Miss Rae said the NHS have really tried to help but it’s a very slow process of working through different treatments but remains hopeful that a cure is out there.
To support the appeal visit www. gofundme.com/f/2efn4gkj20