17 May 2024 , 15:10
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A mum has issued a warning after her six-year-old son dropped to the weight of a three-year-old following a severe parasite infection.
Gemma Weston-Roper, her husband Daniel, and their two young sons, Alfred and Henry, were enjoying a family trip to Leicestershire during the Easter holidays when their vacation took a horrifying turn. Alfred initially complained of a stomach ache, which quickly escalated to severe vomiting and diarrhoea.
The family, from Gateacre, Liverpool, were initially told it was a common stomach bug. However, as days turned into weeks with no signs of improvement, Gemma’s worry intensified. “It’s definitely the illest he’s been in his life,” she shared. “We felt from early on that this wasn't just a tummy bug because he was so poorly so quickly. It came from nowhere.”
Tha family were told initially that it was a common stomach bug (Gemma Weston-Roper)
Alfreds weight plummeted to just 16.8kg (Gemma Weston-Roper)Nearly two weeks after the first symptoms appeared, tests conducted by their GP revealed Alfred was suffering from cryptosporidiosis, an infection caused by the cryptosporidium parasite. Gemma is now urging other parents to remain vigilant and seek medical advice promptly if they observe similar symptoms. “If you think it's more serious, reach out to your GP or anyone else because it is a worrying time. If it affects more than one person in the family, i can imagine it will be impossible to manage. We were lucky enough that no one else in the family caught it.”
Alfred’s condition worsened dramatically before the diagnosis. His eyes became sunken, and his skin turned grey. "He lost around two and a half kilos, which is around five pounds, and a lot for a child as Alfred is slim anyway," Gemma explained. His weight plummeted to just 16.8kg, the average weight of a three-year-old.
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In the hospital, Alfred was offered anything to tempt him to eat, but nothing worked. "We knew he was really dehydrated because he wasn't passing urine and was pale in colour," Gemma recalled. "I think the dehydration is the most worrying because if it happens to a baby, they can't tell you they're really sick."
In the hospital, Alfred was unable to eat anything due to the sickness (Gemma Weston-Roper)
(Gemma Weston)This comes amid an outbreak in Brixham, South West England, with at least 22 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis. The local Eden Park Primary School even closed due to concerns over tap water safety, advising residents to boil water before drinking, cooking, or brushing their teeth. Bottled water stations have been set up, and vulnerable residents are receiving doorstep deliveries to ensure they have safe drinking water.
Cryptosporidium is a tiny organism found in human and animal waste, known to contaminate waterways, swimming pools, raw milk, and fresh produce. Alfred likely contracted the parasite from livestock during the family trip, where they visited a petting zoo and cycled through fields with farm animals. Contaminated water is another potential source.
Four weeks on, the family is still grappling with the illness’s aftereffects. Despite guidance suggesting symptoms last up to two weeks, Alfred’s ordeal has been much longer. "One thing we've noticed is that it's being played down, and the sickness is said to only last two weeks," Gemma said.
"But two weeks is a really long time to have vomiting and diarrhoea and not eat. I don't want to worry people, but it is a long time to be sick. He's still showing some signs of sickness and his appetite isn't amazing and we're four weeks on from the time he got ill. It is a worry if it affects older people or babies.”
Gemma Weston, husband Daniel Roper and their two sons, Alfred and Henry Roper (Gemma Weston)Now, Gemma is sharing Alfred’s story to raise awareness about the disease and its severe impact. "It's worrying because does this stay inside of him? Will he flare up again? We haven't had much information, so we've had to research ourselves. Hopefully, we get some answers soon," she said. "We don't know anything other than a page on the NHS website. There are people in our family that are at high risk, so we are conscious of it."
Unfortunately, there isn't a specific treatment for cryptosporidiosis. Still, with the ongoing situation in Devon, Gemma hopes more information will become available to help families cope with the illness. “We don't know anything other than a page on the NHS website", she said. "We are concerned that it could still be in his system or he could have another flare up. Hopefully we can get some more information on it soon with everything going on.”