Ethan's story

Ethan Mason from Essex was a happy healthy two year old until the devastating evening of Halloween 2009 when his world turned upside down as he fell ill with Meningococcal Septicaemia.

The little boy had been his usual boisterous self during the day but as evening fell he was hot and would not eat. Concerned mum Lorraine put him to bed with some Calpol and kept checking on him. Later that evening Ethan had a seizure and was rushed to hospital.

Things went from bad to worse for Ethan. He developed septicaemia and soon his whole body was covered in a rash. Within a couple of hours he was on life support as doctors fought to save him. His mum was told the terrible news that all his organs were failing and it was feared he had just a few hours to live.

Gravely ill, he was transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit at Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge and there his condition gradually stabilised and slowly began to improve. He was in intensive care for four weeks before being well enough to be moved onto a normal ward, but his recovery came at a cost. Ethan had to undergo a number of operations as a result of his illness. He has had his right leg amputated at the knee and his left leg amputated at the ankle. He will also loose the tips of his fingers.

While Ethan was fighting back from the brink in intensive care, WellChild Children’s Nurse Lucy came into his life. When he pulled through and began to get better thoughts turned to the future. Apart from his physical disability Ethan will now develop just like any other little boy and Lucy’s aim once he was well was to get him home from hospital with the right care and support to live with his mum and his brothers and sister.

Mum Lorraine is full of praise for the way WellChild Nurse Lucy has been able to help the family. Lorraine said: “Lucy is brilliant and has been a wonderful support. Anything I have asked for Lucy has helped with. Lucy has a great relationship with Ethan.”

The good news is that, with Lucy’s help, Ethan is now back at home living with his family. Lorraine says his illness has not affected his personality – he is still very boisterous and a very special little boy. He loves cars, ambulances and tractors and anything that is noisy and moves!