A young man who was known as the "world's most allergic boy" has died aged 20. His parents have paid an emotional tribute to Paul Braithwaite, who they said "took everything in his stride".
When he was born, Paul was the only Brit in history known to be diagnosed with eosinophilic gastroenteropathy. It was a condition that saw him get rashes and vomit after contact with sunlight, grass, fabric, dust and animals.
Paul was also allergic to dozens of types of food. He suffered immense stomach problems as well as other effects and the medication used to treat it often leads to side effects such as the stunting of growth, reports HullLive.
When Paul died at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull on Monday, June 20, he was the size of a 10 or 11-year-old boy. His condition had left him self-conscious to the point where he rarely left his room and had only one real friend.
Paul, from Grimsby, won the hearts of many, such as Eamonn Holmes, who paid for astroturf to be laid in his back garden at home so the Manchester United fan could play football. He also received a letter from former England manager Fabio Capello saying how brave he was.
Mum Kelly Thornton said Paul enjoyed spending time with his father, Darren Braithwaite, at the shooting range and gaming on consoles and computers. Although he was brave all the way up until his death, Kelly said it didn't make it any easier.
She said: "He took everything in his stride, nothing got him down, he just made a joke out of everything. He was a really happy little boy in his younger days, but he became more conscious of his illness when he became older and began to lock himself away in his bedroom."
Paul's skin was in very poor condition due to allergies caused by his illness. "He had such complex needs and was so embarrassed by everything that he didn't want others to see him," Kelly said.
"It was hard to see as his mum, as I never thought he should be ashamed of himself. He did have one friend who came a couple of hours a week, but he was mainly in his own little world, which he liked.
"In the last two years he really started deteriorating and he was hoping he would get well enough to get a dog and start going out more. However, that never happened."
Kelly added: "It's really hard to think about it all now, he had so many dreams, like getting a beagle, eating different foods and going to the shooting range with his dad." Paul had many hobbies during his life, but his favourite was playing video games.
Kelly said: "He loved gaming, he'd just bought a gaming laptop to use for after his treatment, but he never got to use it. He was also obsessed with Manchester United when he was younger, especially Ronaldo.
"There was only so much he could do with his life though. In 2012, he went swimming with dolphins in Florida, he'd try anything he could though. His endless allergies and medication prevented him from doing a lot, sadly.
"He really was a one-off though, a real character. I always called him my 'little fighter' because he loved WWE too." Kelly is proud of what her son achieved and will always look back on these fond memories, but says she's struggling to cope with the loss.
She said: "I'm not coping at all. I cared for him around the clock for 20 years, we were inseparable, I stayed by his side continuously. He wasn't ready to go, that's what makes it so bad.
"There wasn't a bad bone in his body though, you couldn't fault him. My happiest memories are seeing him in gaming shops and enjoying himself."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise funds for the family at this difficult time, to donate click here.
