East Kilbride News

CANNABIS FOR COLE

Desperate mum wants son, 6, to get chance of a normal life

- ANDREA LAMBROU

“This is my smiling little Christmas elf. But at 4am every morning the epileptic seizures start. He’s shaking, gargling and his eyes are flickering. I lay next to him, stroking his head and saying mummy is here, tears pouring down my face. This is like a horrible nightmare. We need...

Cole Thomson’s distraught mother this week made a heart-wrenching plea for a life-saving cannabis cure so her boy can have a fighting chance of a seizure-free Christmas.

With time running out to source the potentiall­y miraculous drug six-year-old Cole so desperatel­y needs to cure his paralysing stroke-like seizures, mum Lisa Quarrell has bravely spoken out about her recurring nightmare – and laid bare the devastatin­g impact these traumatic episodes are having on the Newlandsmu­ir lad’s health.

The News has told how the single mum-oftwo is battling for access to medical cannabis to save her severely epileptic son’s life.

Lisa, 37, has pleaded with policy-makers, begged for backing from politician­s while raising thousands of pounds for other desperate families – and she launched the UK-wide Parents of Hope campaign to push for the reform of the current laws around the use of cannabis for medication.

Lisa took to social media to share the heartbreak she endures every single day as she watches her little one deteriorat­e before her eyes. She posted: “My little Christmas elf took another seizure in school and afterwards wouldn’t eat or communicat­e with anyone in school. He was rocking back and forward and not coping so a phone call to my mum to go get him and I left work early from Edinburgh.

“He was better and eating when I got home and the rest of the day was a mixture of smiles and tantrums because he was exhausted. Bathed and tucked up in bed until the seizures start again...usually about 4am.

“This is like a horrible nightmare I can’t wake up from...every night and every morning watching my poor boy suffer, two minutes, sometimes two-and-a-half minute long seizures...he’s shaking, gargling, his chest is pumping, his eyes are flickering, he wets himself...while I lay next to him gently stroking his head, saying: ‘you’re okay baby boy, mummy’s here,’ while my heart’s breaking and tears are pouring down my face. That’s the awful sickening reality.

“I know there’s a chance that medical cannabis will help but nothing I do gets me any closer to getting my hands on it. Cole needs this now. My family and friends need answers now. I won’t stop.”

 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Plea Lisa Quarrell
Plea Lisa Quarrell
 ??  ?? Christmas plea Lisa Quarrell
Christmas plea Lisa Quarrell
 ??  ?? Brothery love Cole is all dressed up for the festive season with big brother Dylan
Brothery love Cole is all dressed up for the festive season with big brother Dylan

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