Little battler in running for courage title

YOUNGSTER SUFFERS EACH WINTER BUT BATTLES THROUGH

Brave little battler Gray Crone – who has to fight through a string of chest infections each winter – has come through it with his fighting spirit intact and with a Best of Wearside Awards nomination.

The 18-month-old from Red House, in Sunderland, has a condition so rare that only one in 3,500 children are diagnosed with it.

He has trancheoesophageal fistula (TOF), a condition where part of the oesophagus is joined to the windpipe.

Infants who have it find it difficult Mum Danielle, 33, said her little boy “has had a rough winter”. “He has constantly had chest infections and it’s a tough time for him from October to March. It really wears him down. “He is constantly coughing all the time because he has a TOF cough.” to swallow, causing The Echo first revealed frothy, white bubbles in the Gray’s story last August. He mouth, coughing or choking was a healthy 8lbs-plus when when feeding and even vomiting. he was born in July 2017 but Danielle soon noticed there In Gray’s case, was a problem. every winter is While he was being fed, he an uphill battle was ‘quite frothy and bringing because up mucus’. he picks up Then, he went blue and so many infections. had to be taken for tests at Sunderland Royal Hospital. And “That’s when he was sent that’s exactly through straight away to the what has RVI in Newcastle in an ambulance,” happened said Danielle last over the last few summer. months. After being diagnosed with the condition, Gray underwent an operation at just three days old in which surgeons went in through his back to remove part of his oesophagus, which was then a dead muscle due to his condition and something which left him unable to swallow properly.

The oesophagus had to be unjoined from the windpipe and then connected to Gray’s stomach.

Following the op, Gray was put in intensive care for a week, but since then he has continued to make good progress.

Now, he becomes the first nomination in this year’s Child of Courage section of the Best of Wearside Awards.

Delighted mum Danielle, who is married to Gray’s dad Chris, 37, who works offshore, and is also mum to Elsie, seven, described the nomination as ‘fabulous’ and said it would also help raise awareness of the condition that Gray and other children have.

In another boost for the little boy, he has also started nursery at Tavistock House and Danielle said: “He goes one morning a week and it is really bringing him on.”

We’ve got off to a great start with nominations for this year’s awards, but we want plenty more and here are lots more details on the 2019 competition.

This year’s competition has backing from headline sponsor BGL Group, partner sponsor Gentoo and category sponsors