3 year old boy miraculously survives after his mum made the decision to take off his life support

Saturday, October 29, 2016

A 29 year old mother, Kerry Askin, whose 3 year old son had been diagnosed with lung cancer was forced to make the heartbreaking decision no parent should ever be faced with.

The mum had been warned that her son, Dylan, who was lying unconscious on the hospital bed, would not survive the rare form of cancer. The cancer had left him critically ill with bacterial pneumonia and caused his major organs to fail.

After the little boy was baptised, his family made the heartbreaking decision to remove him from life support only for him to recover.

According to the story, when Dylan arrived at hospital it was discovered he had two collapsed lungs and was later diagnosed with a form of lung cancer and was given chemotherapy. The following month he developed an infection and had a seizure, which caused him to stop breathing again. He was given CPR by Caroline Blake at Little Nippers nursery when he collapsed.

But, miraculously, the brave tot slowly improved and stunned doctors to be well enough to be released from hospital in April .

Dylan's mum who is from Somersal Close, Shelton Lock, wanted to share the story of Dylan's illness and miraculous recovery. She said:

"Dylan first presented with a single collapsed lung on Christmas Day 2015. He was breathless and distressed at lunch time so after a visit to the walk-in clinic we got rushed to A&E at Derby where they suspected pneumonia at first. "After no improvement, they did an X-ray and discovered the collapse and that his lungs looked unclear and potentially were covered in air-filled cysts. 

We were transferred to Nottingham QMC where they did a chest drain to release the air. Dylan, who has two brothers Bryce, aged six and Logan, aged four months, was discharged on January 7, however he had another single collapse on the right side again on four days later. He was discharged again on February 1, but things soon got worse. 

"On February 10, he had a double collapse at Little Nippers nursery. His breathing became laboured quickly and I took him into the lobby and called 999 and was told I would get a phone call back.

"He got worse so I called again and stressed the nature of his condition. Then I was just on my third phone all back to them to express how quickly he was deteriorating when he stopped breathing and the wonderful Caroline Blake took over and gave rescue breaths so I could continue on the phone to the paramedic counting his breathing out once he started up again.

"Once we were at Royal Derby Hospital A&E, it was discovered both lungs had collapsed and staff started putting him on the ventilator and putting chest drains in. "A team from QMC came across to fetch him and as we arrived in Nottingham, so did his biopsy results which came back as Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis which is now recognised as cancer, so effectively lung cancer. On Valentine's Day, his tubes were removed."

But Dylan stayed in the hospital because he needed constant chemotherapy and chest drains and on March 18 he developed an infection and had a febrile seizure on the ward which caused him to stop breathing again.
Mrs Askin continued:

"On Good Friday we were told he wasn't going to survive and we had him baptised and all said goodbye. "Myself and his dad, Mike, stayed with him every second and on Saturday morning we made the tough decision to remove life support but once the muscle relaxant was turned off to start the process we discovered he needed more sedation. Upon doing that he slowly improved! 

"Finally he was released on April 4 which was mine and Mike's seventh wedding anniversary so again a wonderful gift! He final chest drain was removed on May 20 and we were discharged just over two weeks later."

Source: Derby Telegraph reports