A toddler had to have part of his lung removed during a five-hour surgery after contracting invasive Strep A.
Reuben Damant, three, also needed a litre of fluid removed from his right lung. The toddler fell ill in November last year after suffering from a high temperature and severe stomach ache.
Reuben's parents, Charlton, 33, and Sam, 34, dialled 111 but when the boy began screaming in pain, he was rushed to Ispwich Hospital's A&E. While in the waiting room, he began hallucinating and speaking to hid older sister Isla, seven, who wasn't with the family at the time.
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Charlton, from Felixstowe, Suffolk, said: "There's no dressing it up, it was awful seeing Reuben that poorly. The more the doctors explained his symptoms, the more we realised it was Strep-A, especially with all the news stories about it."
An x-ray of Reuben's lungs revealed fluid in his lungs and necrotising pneumonia, which was killing the tissue in his right lung. He was then transferred to the intensive care unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge following suspicions he contracted invasive Strep A.
While undergoing a long surgery, his parents were supported by The Sick Children's Trust who gave them a free place to stay nearby. Charlton said: "I don't know what we would have done without The Sick Children's Trust. We always planned to raise money and give back to this amazing charity to thank them for supporting us through this difficult time."
Fortunately, Reuben is now recovering at home with his family. Charlton said he will take to the skies this weekend in a 15,000ft skydive to fundraise for the charity that supported them.
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