Flu battle boy 7, had to learn how to walk and talk again

A BOY of seven has had to learn to talk, walk and eat again after falling ill with Australian flu.

John Paul Rooney spent more than three months in hospital after contracting the bug shortly after Christmas. He was discharged at the end of last month.

His father, Frank, 35, from Hamilton, Lanarkshire, stayed by his bedside throughout his ordeal. John Paul lost his mother, Maryann, last year when she died in her sleep.

Mr Rooney, who donated a kidney to his son four years ago, said: ‘When he got taken into intensive care they took me into a side room and I was sitting thinking “why me, why again? What have I done?” I remember sitting in the room crying.’

He first took John Paul to A&E at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow on December 29 after the youngster developed a high temperature.

Mr Rooney added: ‘They took his bloods and they all came back OK, but the next day he had sickness and diarrhoea.

‘Then he started hallucinating, so we took him up to hospital on January 2 and they admitted him. That’s the down side of the transplant. He’s on immunosuppressant drugs, so it was quite worrying.’

John Paul was in intensive care for nine days, but his progress has amazed his doctors.

Mr Rooney, who has a cleaning business, said: ‘He’s got a wee Zimmer frame and needs a wheelchair if he has to walk longer distances but hopefully that will come.

‘He can speak pretty well now but… he’s still quite forgetful.’