A brave little boy who has undergone six organ transplants has become allergic – to the sun.
Patrick Askham, 8, develops painful hives when his skin is exposed to direct sunlight and may even require hospital treatment due to a weakened immune system.
And it means he misses playtime with older sister Molly, 10, and brother Carrick, 14, and doesn’t even go to school for fear of a flare-up.
Patrick was born with gastroschisis, an abnormality that means his organs were on the outside of his body.
While it may be a common procedure to repair, Patrick developed complications and had to have an intestinal transplant when he was just four.
But his body rejected the organ, so it was removed and in December last year he underwent a stomach, liver, small intestine, colon and pancreas transplant.
Mum Michelle, 37, said: ‘He can go out but he needs to be completely covered in sunscreen.
“Even then, last year he walked into the yard and ended up covered in hives.
“At the moment he can’t go to school or even Asda because of it.
“But he doesn’t feel sorry for himself at all because he’s been taught to love who he is. He is great.
“He’s a very mature eight-year-old, but he should be there choosing which ice cream to have.
“No eight-year-old should have to go through all this.”
The complications with gastroschisis mean that Patrick, from Leeds, West York, also has epilepsy, brittle bone disease and is often dehydrated.
Michelle, who is Patrick’s full-time carer, said when the rest of his family spends time outside together, he needs to consider “whether it’s worth getting sick.”
She added, “The thing with Patrick is if he wants to do something, he’ll consider doing it.
“He knows he’s going to flare up and get so sick and be covered in burns from head to toe.
“So he needs to consider whether it’s worth getting sick.”
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