A mum has told of her family's nightmare as she keeps a constant vigil at the hospital bedside of her critically-ill young son. Father-of-two Connor Pleasance, 26, went into hospital after starting to feel ill in June.
Doctors diagnosed a ruptured gall bladder and he spent two weeks in hospital after also contracting pneumonia. Connor - described by his mum Jo as healthy and fit - returned home to Barnsley, South Yorkshire, but fell ill again and spent a further two weeks in a hospital's intensive care unit.
Medics, his family said, believe bacteria from his ruptured gall bladder is attacking his lungs. On Sunday, July 24, his condition took a turn for the worst and he had to be put in an induced coma.
Connor was also placed on life support ECMO care - a machine which takes over a patient's heart and lung functions to allow the organs to recover. His terrified mum Jo, 48, has been with him at his bedside and doesn't intend to leave until she can take Connor home with her, reports Yorkshire Live.
Her and Connor's partner, Jade, and his two children Grace, five, and Beau, two months, are anxiously awaiting any positive news. Jo, from Brampton in South Yorkshire, said: "It's so frightening. He's my only son. He has been in Glenfield Hospital in Leicester since Monday and there's been no change as of yet.
"It's hard to understand how a 26-year-old can be so ill. It's unbelievable - it happened so fast. It's hard for me to believe someone so young, healthy and fit and has never smoked can get so ill like this. He has got pulmonary fibrosis so parts of his lungs are not fully repairable. We hope some parts will be but all we can do is wait and see at the moment, he's really critically ill.
"I came down with him on Monday and I'm not going home until Connor does. The waiting is so stressful and there's no change everyday - all we can do is hope and pray he responds."
In June, Connor began to feel ill, and ended up driving himself to A&E. His gall bladder ruptured and he spent two weeks in hospital after he got pneumonia. After treatment, he was able to return home for a couple of weeks.
However, Connor began to feel ill again and when he returned to hospital for a gall bladder check-up, they decided to keep him in after he was diagnosed with pneumonia again. Doctors have now told his family they think some bacteria from his ruptured gall bladder is attacking his lungs. Connor spent two weeks in hospital in Barnsley in intensive care.
But on Sunday, July 24, he took a turn for the worse and was blue-lighted to Glenfield Hospital in Leicester on the Monday with Jo following behind him in the car. Since then, Connor's family have been desperately hoping he will respond to the ECMO care. Jo is staying in a hotel in Leicester while he is being treated there so she can go in and see him everyday.
"Grace knows something is happening," Jo said. "She wants to see him but she can't right now. She's drawing him lots of pictures we've put up around his bed.
"They're hoping he might start responding in the next few days and the plan will be to slowly wake him up. He can't speak at the moment. Connor loves football and gaming, and works in management. He's got friends all over the place. He's so friendly and outgoing and is a brilliant dad and son.
"We're just hoping and praying he can come through this. He is a beautiful son and friend, and I can't comprehend all the support we've received."
A friend of Connor's has now set up a GoFundMe page to help the family financially while they try to cope through Connor's hospitalisation. You can donate to the GoFundMe page in support of Connor by clicking here.
Read more of today's top stories here.
READ NEXT:
-
Murder accused husband cut wife's throat then tried to kill himself in 'suicide pact', jury told
-
'Wonderful' mum dies in freak accident celebrating son's 21st birthday
-
Mum kept toddler fed, cool and entertained for just 95p - all thanks to Ikea
-
Moment unarmed officers take down gunman as children play out on streets nearby
