NINE LIVES - A woman was left fighting for life in a coma after contracting a deadly flesh-eating bug - from a CAT SCRATCH
Image by: Shirley Hair
A woman was left fighting for her life in a coma after contracting a deadly flesh-eating bug - from a CAT SCRATCH.
Shirley Hair, 65, almost died after her 'spiteful' Siamese cat, Chan, scratched her hand and the wound became infected.
Grandmother-of-five Shirley initially put her symptoms down to a bad bout of flu as she also felt dizzy, had no appetite, was confused and her muscles ached.
But Shirley was rushed to Southmead Hospital, Bristol, when the inflamed gash on her knuckle turned bright red and spread from her hand up her arm.
She was diagnosed with sepsis, septic shock, organ failure, pneumonia and Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) - a flesh-eating disease which results in the death of parts of the body's soft tissue and which can prove fatal.
Medics performed emergency surgery to remove the infected tissue from her hand before Shirley was placed in a medically-induced coma - to allow her body to rest whilst she recovered.
Shirley spent five days in a coma, more than six weeks in hospital and underwent a series of operations and skin grafts.
Now back at home in Winterbourne, Bristol, Shirley, has re-homed her £400 pedigree cat, Chan.
Image by: Jake McPherson
Image by: Shirley Hair
Image by: Shirley Hair
Shirley, a retired carer, who lives with her husband, Bob, 69, a former betting shop manager, said: "'That cat had always been spiteful, he was very expensive though!
''The day he scratched me I'd been gardening, I tried to pick him up for a cuddle but he wasn't having it.
''The scratch was quite deep, but I didn't think much of it until I started to get flu-like symptoms and totally lost my appetite.
''A doctor came out to see me and prescribed antibiotics, but after a few days I was feeling worse than ever.
''Then my arm began to get red and started swelling up really fast. It was scary. I was rushed into hospital and I was terrified as by that point I'd realised this was something very serious.
''The medics were amazing, but even after the emergency surgery to remove the tissue, I just carried on deteriorating. I felt like I was going to die. I couldn't believe this could all happen from a simple scratch.''
Shirley bought Chan from a breeder in Frampton Cotterell, South Gloucestershire, in July, 2016, when she spotted an ad on Gumtree.
She brought him home as a 10-week-old kitten and he quickly settled into their household, alongside their Labrador, Finn.
At first the moggie was quite nervous and didn't like being handled, but as he got older he became 'quite savage' - regularly lashing out at his owners.
Shirley said: "Bob and I went to view a litter of kittens and we instantly fell in love with Chan.
"He was adorable and we thought he'd be the perfect addition to our family.
"We'd had Siamese cats before and knew they can be a bit cantankerous, but thought with some love and affection he would be the perfect family pet.
"But as Chan got older he only got more aggressive - often leaving us with bites and scratches."
After her hospital admission in April 2018, Shirley's devastated family were told to 'expect the worst' by doctors who formally identified the cat scratch as the cause of her illness.
Image by: Shirley Hair
Image by: Shirley Hair
Image by: Jake McPherson
She was placed in an induced coma on 11th April until 15th when she began to come around.
The worried relatives, including her husband of 32 years, Bob, decided to keep a diary of her progress on the advice of intensive care nurses.
In one particularly poignant entry on 19th April, her daughter Rosie, 34, care home manager, from Bristol wrote: ''Mum you've had a difficult night your heart stopped beating but then restarted - we are all so worried.
''We know you are strong but also tired, we are willing your recovery. If love could fix you, you'd be home already.''
In another husband Bob writes: ''It's Friday , my brown eyed girl, and after a soggy chilly start the sun is beating down.We miss you at home. When I awake in the dark of night I feel you around and then you are gone and I realise what has been happening.''
After a series of procedures, Shirley continued to deteriorate and she suffered two heart attacks after another operation to remove the infection on Wednesday 18th April 2018.
Medics were then forced to sedate and ventilate her in order to stabilise her condition.
She was kept in ICU for almost a month before she began to show signs of improvement.
Shirley explained: ''After coming out of the coma I was severely paranoid due to the combination of infection and medication. I became convinced that I was responsible for the whole thing.
''My son, James, told me that the cat did it but I didn't believe him, I thought they were all covering for me. It was so distressing.
''On top of that I'd been having dreadful nightmares - I was convinced I was in a video game, running from monsters. It was absolutely horrific.''
To combat Shirley's anxiety her loving family, including children, Zoe, 46, Jessica, 40, James, 38, and Rosie, 34, kept her calm by spending hours by her bedside.
Desperate to help her relax they tried talking and playing relaxing music, as the agitation was making her heart rate dangerously high.
Once she was well enough, doctors performed a skin graft from the top of her leg in order to cover the 'gaping wound' on her arm - which was so deep her tendons were exposed.
A vac pump - a machine which decreases air pressure on the wound - was fitted in order to help the skin tissue grow and she was given multiple physiotherapy sessions to regain movement.
After over eight operations and over two months in hospital the plucky gran is now home and well- with her hand 'almost as good as it was'.
She said: ''I can't thank my family and the NHS enough for getting me back to almost full health.
''It's really been quite an ordeal, but they've all supported me 100% every single step of the way.
''My memory isn't as good as it was, I can be quite absent minded nowadays and I'm definitely not as sharp as I was before I got ill. But I'm here and that's all that matters.
''I went back to visit the amazing nurses in ICU and they were speechless to see me looking so well.
''They said to me 'not everyone comes out of here as perky as you Shirley' and that's when it really hit home how lucky I am to be alive. Some people must not come out at all.
''I've even read through all the diary entries my family wrote, I can't get through them without weeping. The depth of love they have for me is just staggering.
''I feel like the luckiest woman alive! After all that happened I decided I really couldn't face Chan the cat anymore so my daughter Zoe volunteered to have him.
''She popped him in a basket and took him home to Wales on the train. She loves animals and isn't really fazed by much at all.
''Our lovely golden Labrador Finn is glad to see the back of Chan too, after having his ears bitten constantly, he can relax now.''
TIMELINE:
April 8th - Cat scratched her
April 11th- Admitted to hospital, placed in induced coma
April 12th- diagnosed with necrosis/sepsis etc had emergency op to remove infection
April 15th- began waking from coma
April 18th- Operation to remove infection and had two cardiac arrests, sedated again
April 20th- woke from being sedated
April 26th- first skin graft on her hand
May 2nd- transferred to plastic surgery ward
May 3rd- realised skin graft hadn't taken
May 7th - another unsuccessful attempt made to skin graft
May 18th- SENT HOME
May 29th- outpatient, back at the hospital for a vac pump to be fitted, no attempt at skin graft
July 21st- 3rd skin graft attempted, was successful!
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Where have you FIN all my life- Meet the worlds friendliest dolphin who has made best friends for life in both humans and dogs!!
Image by: Adam Harnett
Meet Jojo - the world's friendliest wild dolphin who has made best friends for life with both humans and dogs!!
Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin Jojo, who lives in the waters of Turks & Caicos, has a rare personality and actively seeks out human interaction.
He will chase his human friends at 'Wake to Wake Watersports' as they whizz past on their surfboards and speedboats - or enjoy a gentle swim with his 'best friend' - eight-year-old cocker spaniel Zyzz.
The heart-warming footage of the playful dolphin was provided by Wake to Wake Watersports, who operate out of Jojo’s home of Turks & Caicos.
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Mark De Fraine, on behalf of Wake To Wake, said: "We feel extremely lucky as Jojo seems to love our boat as much as we do!
"We often stop when we see him and he will swim over and look at the bottom of the boat.
“There is a tracking fin on the underside which resembles a dorsal fin and we have found that Jojo seems to really enjoy examining it.
“When we start moving and we kick up a good surfing wave Jojo jumps right in and loves to surf with us!
"On many occasions we bump into him as we are heading out onto the water and he will join in for the ride, or just wants to hang out.
“Jojo has spent time surfing, swimming and even Subwinging with our guests - it’s always an unforgettable experience!”
To keep up to date with all of JoJo's amazing adventures follow @waketowaketc on Instagram
Video by: Gabriella Petty
'TIL DEATH DO US BARK - A pair of pooches were taken on a special walk - down the aisle for their own WEDDING
Image by: Len Copland
An adorable pair of pooches were taken on a special walk - down the aisle for their own WEDDING.
Black retriever Fiji and golden retriever Dotty tied the knot in front of around 50 guests
in a marquee outside a pub.
The bash at the Prince of Wales pub, Stoke-sub-Hamdon, Somerset, had all the trappings of a human ceremony.
It included a specially-made dog-friendly cake, a dress and a guitarist to play the couple in.
The dogs walked down the aisle to 'All You Need is Love' by The Beatles and left to 'It Must Be Love' by Madness.
Pippa Hamilton, 60, who officiated the ceremony, said the doggy duo were "slightly all over the place".
Image by: Len Copland
Image by: Len Copland
Image by: Len Copland
Image by: Len Copland
She said: "My job is a celebrant and this idea of a dog wedding came up. I was hesitant to start with - in no way did I want to want to devalue what I do for couples.
"It was an unusual thing. I had never done anything like it before!
"But it highlights the need for love in everybody's lives. When you have love in your life your tail wags!
"The dogs were slightly all over the place, but the bride looked lovely. It was a wonderful thing to do. Apparently they are inseparable."
Pippa often officiates 'handfasting' ceremonies, a rural custom where you bind the newlywed's hands together with a ribbon to show unity.
She added: "I couldn't do that with the dogs yesterday, so I tied their leads together."
The event was organised by Amanda Reed, from Saville Row Hounds, a bespoke dog clothing shop.
Amanda, 59, said: "They retrievers won a competition. We chose them because they were so beautiful.
"The dogs have been friends for a long time and the owners thought it was ideal.
"I made a wedding coat for the female with flowers around her neck. The groom had a bow tie on.
"It was all done in a beautiful gazebo with chairs [for the guests] - someone played the guitar too."
WHAT A BALLS OP - A dad has waived his anonymity and spoken out as hospital bosses admitted a series of failings in a damning report after an op that led him to lose a TESTICLE
Image by: Newsquest The Mail Cumbria
A dad has waived his anonymity and spoken out as hospital bosses admitted a series of failings in a damning report after an op that led him to lose a TESTICLE.
Bill Murray, 62, underwent a routine procedure at Furness General Hospital, Cumbria, in April to remove swelling from his scrotum.
The supposedly simple operation to drain the swollen testicle was carried out by consultant urologist Ashutosh Jain.
But, after the op, the dad-of-two woke up to find a vacuum drain had been inserted and left underneath the skin.
Bill said this was not checked or emptied for 24 hours.
Just two days later, in excruciating pain with the swelling having grown and his testicle now black and gangrenous, Bill, from Walney Island, asked to see a doctor and he was rushed back into theatre by a different surgeon.
When he woke up, he was shocked to see his right testicle was missing - as he claims he hadn't been told exactly what he was going back into theatre for.
The procedure, known as a hydrocele repair, typically takes around 30 minutes and rarely results in complications.
Although patients can usually go home on the same day as a hydrocele repair op, Bill had to stay in hospital for 12 days.
His first operation was carried out by under-fire consultant urologist Ashutosh Jain who has been responsible for other errors leading to patient harm and in two cases contributed to patient deaths.
Two other consultant urologists at the hospital - Kavinder Madhra and Muhammad Naseem - have also been responsible for errors over the last 18 years.
Mr Madhra resigned in October 2018 while Mr Naseem remains at the trust where he is clinical lead of the urology department.
It was only when Bill complained that the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust launched an investigation and has this week handed him a damning Root Cause Analysis.
Image by: Newsquest The Mail Cumbria
The report reveals:
The serious incident by the second surgeon who discovered Bill's testicle was gangrenous.
There was a missed opportunity to do a bladder scan when Bill complained of pain and an inability to urinate.
He was not advised of the risks of the operation.
Policy wasn't followed in escalating Bill to the medical team when he began experiencing pain and other complications.
Finally, medical records from doctors’ assessments and ward rounds have since ‘gone missing’.
To Bill's further ‘disgust’ he has discovered the investigation was led by Mr Naseem.
He said: “I can’t believe they would allow one of the other highly-criticised urologists to be involved in the investigation into what happened to me.
“I’m absolutely disgusted. I hold the surgeon Mr Jain fully responsible for all this.”
UHMBT medical director Dr Shahedal Bari said: “We are very sorry for the distress the patient suffered, and for the length of time it has taken to complete this investigation.
“We have shared our findings with the patient and will remain in touch with him. We would be happy to meet the patient to discuss any concerns.
“An investigation like this involves committees chaired by UHMBT executives and our governance team who are not related to the clinical care.
"This process is governed by trust policies aligned with national guidelines.
"To ensure impartial discussion senior clinicians (Doctors, Nurses) and managers outside the departments are involved in checking (as a standard practice for any RCA).
“The process is not completed yet as an external review will be considered and team lessons will be discussed, in particular around improving record keeping and not missing opportunities to scan patients in this situation.”
BULL DOZER - Couple woke up to find a BULL had wandered into their garden - ramming their bin & pooing on the patio before laying down for a snooze
Image by: Joshua Bambridge
A couple woke up to find a massive BULL had wandered into their garden - ramming their bin, pooing on the patio then laying down and sleeping for an hour.
The bovine - weighing nearly a tonne - smashed through the garden fence from its adjoining field.
The weighty animal trampled all over the lawn, headbutted the wheelie bin, left "hoof shaped pot holes" on the grass and splattered poo over the patio.
The beast - named Arnold after US actor Arnold Schwarzenegger - eventually decided to lay down for a nap.
It left the homeowners, from Raunds, Northamptonshire, enough time to call the farmer and for him to be taken away.
The homeowner said: "I had just gone downstairs to make a hot drink.
"I looked out of the kitchen window and I just couldn't believe my eyes.
"My first thought was 'F*** Arnold's in the garden.
Image by: Joshua Bambridge
Image by: Joshua Bambridge
Image by: Joshua Bambridge
Image by: Joshua Bambridge
"I called my fiancée over and she told me to 'Shut up' because we had joked about it before.
"She was petrified. It was a moment of panic.
"I didn't think it was wise to go outside it as it was probably really distressed.
"I managed to get through to the farmer and he was 40 minutes away.
"So we just sat and watched as he tore up the garden basically.
"I had been doing up the garden over the summer but he's completely ruined my turf!
"There are hoof marks on the lawn now that look like pot holes.
"We've decided to call him Arnold because he's really big built just like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"As soon as the farmer arrived he calmed down a bit as he seemed pretty familiar with him.
"We've been living here 18 months and have seen the odd sheep outside the house.
"But needless to say, we've never had a surprise like that on a weekend."
A gym addict was given the all-clear from pelvic cancer from the NHS despite having secondary tumours in her spine - that were found when she had a PRIVATE scan
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
A gym addict told she was cancer-free by NHS doctors was stunned to find she was riddled with secondary tumours just a month later when she had a private MRI scan.
Super-fit Gemma Sisson, 38, says medics MISSED the tumours in a three separate scans taken in the seven months AFTER she was given the all-clear.
Her last NHS scan, which revealed no cancer, was taken just a month before her private one.
Now Gemma, who has been told she is terminally ill, is calling for better NHS screening for all cancer sufferers.
Her ordeal began in the summer of 2017 when a lump she discovered in her groin was diagnosed in March 2018 as pelvic cancer.
After chemotherapy sessions at the Leeds Cancer Centre, attached to St James's University Hospital, she was given the all-clear in January this year.
A final series of scans were taken and in July it was confirmed she was cancer-free.
But shockingly, after complaining to a physiotherapist about pain in her neck and back she had suffered since March this year she was advised to pay £330 for a private MRI scan.
To her horror it revealed that she had secondary tumours in her neck, back, liver and stomach.
Gemma said: "Obviously I wasn't all-clear.
"I had a final, bigger CT scan from the NHS in July to check the cancer had gone.
"They missed small tumours that had developed in my stomach and they did not scan far up enough to spot the cancer at the top of my spine - they missed it by millimetres."
Gemma has now started a petition calling for thorough checks for the life-threatening illness before patients are told they are cancer-free.
It has so far attracted almost 50,000 signatures with many contributors telling their own horror stories of how they did not find other cancers until it was too late.
Gemma, who now has a collapsed spine, feels lucky to have at least found her secondary cancer before she became completely paralysed, but feels it could have been detected earlier.
Her diagnosis came after a private physiotherapist she was seeing for chronic back and neck pain told her she ought to have a scan as what she was suffering was not normal.
The scan she paid £330 for in August - just one month after her last NHS scan - revealed cancer in her spine had eaten away at two and a half vertebrae.
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
The scan showed the tumours growing on her spine, liver and her stomach, and Gemma was dealt the heartbreaking blow that they were secondary cancer and incurable.
Project manager Gemma said: "I was given the all-clear in January and was having three monthly scans after that.
"At my last scan in July they decided I could now switch to yearly scans.
"I dread to think how bad I would have become waiting another year for a scan."
About her neck and back pain, Gemma said: "I never connected the two.
"I was going to my GP and was getting very strong pain killers but it did not enter my head that it could be anything to do with cancer.
"Unfortunately, nobody else - including a chiropractor and medics at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) A&E - made the connection either or even looked any further to investigate my back pain.
"When I went for private physio care, the pyshiotherapist told me straight away that I ought to go for a scan on my neck to see what was going on - the pain was so severe I had to pick my own head up to get up in the morning.
"He had worked at the LGI in the spinal injuries unit for several years, and he literally saved my life and stopped me being paralysed."
Gemma underwent major surgery at the LGI on her spine, which took seven hours, during which they removed the tumours and collapsed vertebrae and relieved pressure on her spinal cord.
At this stage doctors are unable to give Gemma a prognosis, but it is uncurable.
Gemma will undergo chemotherapy every three weeks from now until the cancer ultimately takes her life.
So far the pain has improved but she has good and bad days.
At the moment her only form of exercise is to go out for walks.
Gemma said: "I am very fit and healthy, I eat well and exercise, I've never smoked and don't drink to excess, sadly I think this possibly went against me as I was ill.
"Even I didn't think this could happen to me."
Gemma, who lives in Leeds, but comes from Bridlington, East Yorks., is now hoping to make a difference to others and show how important it is to have better investigation - and possibly full-body scans - before giving the all-clear.
While she campaigns she is also trying to make the most of her life.
She has got back together with her ex, gym owner Ricky Moore, 39, who she dated for 14 years before breaking up in December 2017.
Gemma's friends Rachael Harrison and Sarah Brown started up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for her to cover rent and day-to-day expenses - and tick off some activities on her bucket list - now she is no longer able to work, which has already raised almost £15,000.
To donate to Gemma's page, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/fundraising-for-gemma.
To sign Gemma's petition go to: Change.org/fullbodycheck
Dr Yvette Oade, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:
“Full body scans are offered to cancer patients where it is appropriate and there is
clinical evidence to support this, in order to assess the patient’s response to
treatment.
"Unfortunately there is never a guarantee, even if there is no evidence of active
disease after treatment, that the cancer will not recur in another area of the body.”
Teenage girl who grew up with bowlegs is going back to school for the first time in a decade after charity offered corrective surgery
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
These incredible before and after photos show the transformation of a teenager who had surgery on her extremely bowed legs.
Valerie, 14 - who the charity refuse to fully name - developed bowed legs at the age of four and had such low self confidence, she begged to be pulled out of school.
She joined her uncle's tailoring shop as an apprentice and worked hard, despite her extremely bent legs which arched out, making it difficult for her to walk.
The talented seamstress was sewing when a customer told her a hospital boat operated by charity Mercy Ships has docked near her home in Cotonou, Benin, in West Africa.
Valerie boarded the charity's ship Africa Mercy and was one of 76 children and teenagers to receive free surgery during the boat's 10-month stint.
Her bow-leggedness was corrected with surgery and physical therapy and now she can walk and run and is planning to return to school.
Valerie said: "I was desperate to learn how to read. A friend onboard gave me a few alphabet pages for me to trace - and the next day I told her I needed more to read!
"I was very happy. I told myself - 'I no longer want to be a seamstress! I want to go back to school!'
"Not long after then, my legs were strong enough for me to go home. School will be great. People will say - 'is this the same girl? Her legs are straight'!"
Bow-leggedness is a deformity marked by outward bowing at the knee, which gives the limb the appearance of an archer's bow.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
The chief cause is rickets, but it can also be caused by skeletal problems, infections, and tumours.
Valerie did not wish to disclose the cause of her condition.
During Valerie's knee operation, surgeons removed a wedge of bone from the outside of both her knees, causing her legs to bend inward.
After general anesthetic was administered, a five-inch incision was made down the front and outside of her knees.
Guide wires were drilled into the top of the shin bones from the outside of the knees, before an oscillating saw was run along those wires, removing most of the bone wedge.
The tops of Valerie's shin bones were then lowered on the outside and attached with surgical screws, before her tissue was stitched back together.
One of five daughters, Valerie was in post-surgery rehab for about four months, during which she learned to read.
Mercy Ships operates the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world, providing humanitarian aid for terminally-ill patients.
It has operated in more than 57 developing nations and 18 developed nations around the world, with a current focus on African countries.
A five-year-old leukaemia patient is heading to Singapore with his parents after kindhearted members of the public donated £500,000 for potentially life-saving treatment
Image by: Olivia Saxelby
A five-year-old kid is heading to Singapore with his parents after kindhearted members of the public donated £500,000 to fund leukaemia treatment.
Oscar Saxelby-Lee will have CAR-T treatment after the community helped raise the funds to cover the cost of the treatment, which is not currently available on the NHS.
He will make the trip with his parents “in the next few days” following the successful crowdfunding campaign to pay for the potentially life-saving treatment.
Oscar’s mum Olivia Saxelby said: “Oscar is continuing to fight, but his disease hasn’t responded greatly to treatment in the UK involving a top up of donor cells he was given.
“It kept his disease level down to an extent, but it’s not what we had wished.
“It’s taken a few days to come to decision, not only because of the results, but the difficulty in knowing whether each option will cure him.
“All we want to do is the ‘right’ thing by our baby. So in the next few days we shall be on the plane to Singapore.
“We are scared, we are petrified, we just don’t know if this is the best option, but what we do know is Oscar was given this chance, and we must go for it before it’s too late.”
Oscar, from Worcester, first made headlines when more than 10,000 people responded to a plea for potential stem cell donors after doctors gave him three months to find a match.
After a match was found, Oscar’s parents Olivia, 26, and Jamie, 23, hoped it was the first step to curing their son who has a rare T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
But they were left devastated when they discovered the disease had returned despite Oscar's stem cell transplant this spring.
They suffered further heartache when they were told the NHS would not fund a second transplant or a potentially new cell therapy treatment.
The desperate couple launched a fundraising drive to raise £500,000 needed to send Oscar to Singapore for the CAR-T trial.
Image by: Olivia Saxelby
Image by: Olivia Saxelby
Image by: David Dunbar
Image by: Newsquest Worcester News
Image by: Olivia Saxelby
The campaign to raise half a million pounds to fund a specialist treatment for the brave five-year-old boy was one of the fastest online charity appeals, taking just three weeks.
In a post on their Facebook page, the family said: “Often we sit, no talk is needed, no eye contact is needed, just tears. Just that time to grieve.
“It’s not often but it happens. It happens because all we wish for is a ‘normal’, happy life without our baby suffering.
“Being strong, remaining positive is absolutely our way of coping but sometimes we do have to be realistic.
“All we want to do is the ‘right’ thing by our baby. Yet that is not something that you can’t determine during these traumatic times.”
Dr Jen Kelly, director of the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust said: “The team at the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust are proud to have been able to help support Oscar Saxelby-Lee and his parents, Olivia and Jamie through the most incredible fundraising campaign.
“We would like to wish them the very best of luck on this next step of their journey and to say we are rooting for Oscar all the way.
“The funds are ready, but we are currently working hard to sort the final details for the funding of Oscar’s treatment and are awaiting on the final paperwork from Singapore before transfers can take place.
“When this is received, we will be ready and waiting.
“Thank you so much to the people of Worcestershire for working together to help us give this wonderful little boy this chance.
“Grace’s legacy was a wish to help other children, and we are so proud to have been able to help support Oscar’s family in this way.
“We will continue to be in close contact with the family, helping where ever we can.”
Mum praises kind stranger who brought emotional son home after he lost his football bag - then gave family £100 to buy replacement kit
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
A mum-of-three was left in tears when a kind stranger brought her distraught son home after he lost his football bag - and then gave the family £100 to replace the lost kit.
Sarah Sims said her son, Ashton Cayton, nine, was left "sobbing his heart out" as he desperately ran around in the rain on Saturday, trying to find his bag with all his football kit in.
She said a kind stranger walking her dog in the park took pity on Ashton and brought him home - but then, unbeknownst to the family, went back to the park to carry on looking for the bag.
And when the woman could not find Ashton's lost belongings, she returned to Sarah's house and slipped a note through the door - with £100 enclosed for replacement kit.
Fitness instructor Sarah, from Barry, south Wales, says she was moved to tears by the kind gesture - and now wants to find the Good Samaritan and thank her properly.
The single mum said: "She turned up at my house like a fairy godmother.
"Not only did she bring my upset son home, she went back out to try to find his football stuff, then wrote that wonderful letter and gave money.
"Ashton said he was freezing, soaking wet, running round crying his eyes out, trying to find his bag.
"With me being a recently single mum, my kids know the value of money, and he was so upset and worried how we would replace his stuff, especially his new trainers.
"This was just a beautiful gesture and we are so grateful. Such a beautiful random act of kindness that was so selfless it had me in tears," Sarah added.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
The kind stranger's note was slipped through Sarah's letterbox as she was bathing her children Frazer Cayton, 11, Ashton, nine, and daughter Cali Cayton, six.
It read: "To the little boy who lost his bag - hi, I looked for your bag but could not find it (sorry!).
"I remember when I was little and I lost something. I was so upset and we had no money to replace it either. Mum and I looked everywhere.
"I hope that you get a new pair of football boots. Here is £100 for you and mum towards replacements.
"Work hard in school and do something nice for someone."
The note is signed from "The lady and her dog".
Sarah said: "Everything about it is simply beautiful. I am so grateful for this generous selfless act and for teaching my kids a wonderful lesson."
Ashton, who plays for Park Lions football club in Barry, now wants to put the money towards replacing his football bag, boots, and shin pads.
But Sarah added: "He also wants to do something for charity. He said he wants to help the homeless as it must be awful for them to be outdoors in this weather.
"Ashton is the most loyal boy, he is so kind and caring and will do anything for me and his siblings.
"This note deserves to be shared for this wonderful person to get the recognition she deserves."
When asked what he would say to the woman, Ashton said: "Thank you very much for that money, and thanks for searching for my bag."
One of UK's youngest transgender children starts her transitioning journey aged 13...after realising she was in 'wrong body' aged just THREE
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
A 12-year-old who is one of Britain’s youngest transgender children has started transitioning - after realising she was born in the ‘wrong body’ aged just THREE.
Ash Lammin is, biologically-speaking, a boy.
But her mum says she insisted that she was a girl as soon as she could speak.
Terri Lammin, 43, said that watching her daughter - who was born Ashton - grow up confused and upset by her body was “heartbreaking”.
She said: “Although she was born male, from the moment she could speak Ash insisted she was a girl.
“By age five, she was asking ‘when is someone going to chop my winky off?’ - and questioning why she had it at all.”
Family photos from Ash’s upbringing therefore mask a very difficult period for the family, who live near Ramsgate in Kent.
In one, Ash is splashing around in a bath, wearing a sparkly mermaid’s swimming costume and looking like an average three-year-old girl - obsessed with pink and wearing a princess dress, the sort of thing that’s usually seen at birthday parties.
But, Terri revealed, the only reason she was wearing her swimming costume in the bath was to hide her body - which had dismayed her from an early age.
Ash says that it has been difficult growing up as a trans girl, but says she feels that she is firmly on the right path.
She said: “The journey is long and it’s still going, but I feel like the sense of victory is there through it all.
"I do feel accepted sometimes, but other times not.
"Not everyone is going to understand and people have to have their own opinions and I understand that. Some people might not like the idea of trans.
"I hope I inspire others but I just hope that love and acceptance comes through everything."
According to her mum, Ash is the perfect example of a child who has been born in the wrong body.
Now, aged almost 13, she is embarking on a lengthy journey to transition her gender from male to female at an NHS-run clinic - and is one of the youngest in the country to do so.
Ash - who changed her name by deed poll to Ashley when she was eight - will start by taking hormone blockers to halt the onset of puberty.
She has researched the process incessantly - and eventually wants a womb transplant so that she can be a mother when she’s older.
While some critics have accused Terri of taking drastic decisions on behalf of a child who is too young to know better, she points out that Ash will take the blockers until she is 18.
At that point, she herself will decide whether to go ahead with gender reassignment surgery.
If she decides not to go ahead with it, Ash will come off the blocker - and her puberty will kick in just a few years later than her peers.
Terri said: “I never thought it was a phase, Ash was just Ash.
"When she was three she said to me, ‘I’m a boy because you gave me a boy’s name - it’s your fault.’
“I remember feeling horrible, because she blamed me. I personally thought maybe this was what an extremely camp gay man is like as a child.
"I'd never come across it before and I just went along with it. I just thought 'if he's happy, well that's the main thing.'"
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
But Terri, who has seven other children, said that life became much harder when Ash started at primary school.
She said: “I sent her to school in a boy’s uniform. I felt awful, she didn’t want to wear it and I was making her.
"The school were great. The headmaster at the time said 'if you think it's going to make life easier then bring Ash in a girl's uniform', so I did.
"I was in a right state. I thought 'everybody is going to think I'm weird' - but Ash loved it, she found it easy.
"Before, when I was taking her into school, she was biting me and kicking me, she didn't want to go in.
"As soon as she put the girl's uniform on, she wanted to go every day."
Despite the school’s willingness to help and the kindness of Ash’s classmates, Terri says that other parents were very difficult - leaving her out of social events and complaining that Ash was using the girls’ toilets.
She added: "When Ash was Ashton, she was invited to all the kids' parties, even though she used to turn up in a princess dress.
"The parents didn't mind then. But as soon as I let her be Ashley all the time, for a whole year she didn't get invited to one party.
"The kids were fine; it's not the children, kids play with anybody. It's not until an adult comes in and says you shouldn't do that then it changes."
When Ash turned 11 and went to secondary school, she became a target for bullies who would throw things at her on the bus and shout ‘tranny’ at her - forcing Terri to take her out of the school after just one term.
Ash is now being home-schooled, and Terri is calling for better education within schools to teach children about transgender people.
She said: "I'd like to see the subject of transgender people included in some lessons, like there are about same-sex families.
“There needs to be more about liking people for who they are, not what they are."
Ash suffers from anxiety and, her mum said, has openly claimed that she wants to die.
Terri said: “Some days she says ‘I’m so glad I’m me’, but other days she feels terrible. She asks why it has to happen to her and she hates herself.
“I tell her that some people are born with one leg, and they have to deal with it. I question whether it was a chromosome disorder that led to this - I would like to know why it happened.”
"She is so inspirational. She could easily have said 'I'll just be a boy' but she feels so strongly about who she is she accepts the difficulties.
"But it's a lot for a child to deal with."
