A life-changing operation to help a Titchfield Common three-year-old walk unaided has had to be postponed after he developed croup.
Harvey Young was all set for the selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) operation at a hospital in St Louis, Missouri this week to treat his spastic diplegia – a form of cerebral palsy – in his legs.
Harvey Young with nan Sheila Weston at a hotel in America
But when he arrived in America with mum Natalie, Harvey developed croup, a respiratory condition that is usually triggered by an acute viral infection of the upper airway and causes bad coughing.
Despite being treated and discharged from the hospital’s respiratory unit, it has meant the surgery on his legs has been put back until June 20.
Harvey’s dad Nick, 39, who is working at NATS and packing up the house in Bellflower Way ready to move on July 12, said the news of a postponement was frustrating.
“We were gutted,” he said. “We – and I especially being the worrier of the family – had psyched ourselves up for the operation on Tuesday and it’s a bit of an anti climax.
“Harvey had a bad cough. But he’s now out of the hospital. Natalie was upset to an extent. She knew he was going to be ok. But it was just the day before the operation.
“Harvey doesn’t really know what’s going on. He’s more interested in looking around and going to the zoo. He loves the hospital staff and the hospital staff already love him – a polite little boy with an English accent.”
The operation and initial physiotherapy has cost £50,000, but for Natalie, her mum Sheila Weston and Harvey to be out there for longer would probably cost another £2,000.
Nick said timing was now a concern so that Harvey could have his operation and that Natalie, who is pregnant, is able to fly back in time before the arrival of the couple’s new baby.
Although, the baby girl is not due until August, there are fears Natalie may give birth prematurely because Harvey was born early.
“It’s between a 15 and 40 per cent chance,” said Nick. “If Natalie has the baby out there, then she may have to stay out there for a month. But Harvey will need to come back to the UK for physiotherapy.”
For more details and to support the appeal visit www.help4harvey.co.uk.