A seven-year-old boy has taken his first steps after being left fighting for his life due to suffering a devastating stroke while playing a casual game of yard ball.
Little Louie was enjoying time with a family friend when he suddenly began vomiting and complaining of feeling unwell. At first, it seemed like he may have just picked up a bug, but it quickly became apparent something far more serious was happening.
Louie’s dad, Ben Clark, from Yorkshire, UK, told how since the incident there were worries that he wouldn’t be able to walk but after a very long journey, his son is slowly getting back on his feet.
Ben said: “My friend brought him home, I soon realised it wasn’t just ‘feeling’ sick and it was serious – I then called an ambulance, but the ambulance wait was up to three hours – so me and mum took Louie to hospital ourselves.
“At certain points during the A&E visit, I genuinely thought Louie was going to die.”
Ben told how Louie had suffered a stroke in February, cause by trauma to his neck.
The stroke marked the beginning of a gruelling hospital journey for the youngster, who has since spent over 60 days in care, including 52 at Leeds General Infirmary.
Ben explained that after initial surgery to remove the blood clots, Louie suffered a series of setbacks.
He required a craniectomy to relieve the pressure on his brain, followed by a cerebrospinal fluid leak that led to a spinal drain being fitted. When that failed to resolve the issue, surgeons inserted a shunt to manage the internal fluid drainage.
Throughout it all, Louie’s resilience has astounded those around him, dealing with what happened to him in a mature way, pushing through his recovery.
The family also praised the exceptional support they’ve received from medical professionals at Leeds General Infirmary.
Whilst the youngster is still not able to fully walk unaided, the most special moment happened for the family when he took his first steps.
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