A mother is speaking out after a six-year ordeal that began when her son contracted strep throat and ended with him unable to walk.
Luke Bates, then eight years old, was diagnosed with the bacterial infection in April 2016 when his family noticed he had a fever and a rash.
He then suffered the long-term effects of the infection, resulting in a host of additional illnesses. Luke, now 15, is just “getting the life out of him” after coming off antibiotics the year before.
His mother, Susan Bates, said she lived each day in fear, “woke up not knowing if he would be there the next day.”
Luke Bates, then eight, was diagnosed with the bacterial infection in April 2016 when his family noticed he had a fever and a rash.
Luke (pictured) contracted strep throat and was unable to walk. He also suffered from a number of other illnesses.
“He was too sick to go anywhere for the last six years. This disease took over every part of his body. I had to look after a baby again,” said Ms Bates, 47, from Hertfordshire.
“I would wake up not knowing if I would be there the next day.”
Luke was given antibiotics after his initial diagnosis of strep throat and scarlet fever six years ago, but the cough persisted.
The family was then told he had tonsillitis in January 2017, followed by a diagnosis of glandular fever in March of the same year.
But Luke’s health continued to decline. He developed tics, stopping functioning and being unable to walk.
Ms Bates said: “He went from doing karate and street dancing to extremely ill overnight.” She developed tics and had hallucinations and ran in circles cutting her knees.
“He couldn’t sleep at night because his body wouldn’t stop shaking and he felt so sick he couldn’t sleep.”
Doctors told Ms Bates and her husband, Geoff, 46, in April 2017 that Luke had chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a long-term, incurable neurological condition that affects the nervous and immune systems.
But then, in February 2020, doctors discovered that Luke (pictured) actually had pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococci (PANDAS), after three operations to remove the tonsillitis.
Doctors told Ms Bates and her husband, Geoff, 46, in April 2017 that Luke had chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), an incurable condition. long-term neurological condition that affects the nervous and immune systems.
“They told us that there was no cure and that he might never recover, so we had to move on,” he explained. They told us there was nothing they could do for him.
But then, in February 2020, doctors discovered that Luke actually had pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococci (PANDAS), after three operations to remove the tonsillitis.
This is when the immune system attacks the brain. It appears in children after a strep infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever.
Ms Bates said: ‘They found the strep was still in her throat.
“It started working again after starting the antibiotics, but he was constantly getting infections that slowed him down.”
Luke received long-term treatment with antibiotics and SSRIs, and gradually, over the past two years, he has been able to regain his strength.
Luke, now 15 (pictured), started going back to school in April 2021, but only for an hour at a time and in one-on-one sessions. He still hasn’t gone back to school with other kids.
However, his treatment was not without its setbacks, as the teenager had multiple relapses and suffered from other symptoms such as OCD, panic attacks, and separation anxiety.
Luke was too sick to go anywhere for six years. He has slept in my bed for the last five years and I would never know if he will be there the next day,” his mother said.
‘He’s finally getting his life back. This year she has stopped antibiotics.
He has gone back to school, but he is not yet in a classroom with other children. She is learning English and math and is now in remission for PANDAS.’
Luke started going back to school in April 2021, but only for an hour at a time and in individual sessions. He is now happy and learning again, but not at school with other children.
He was also diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in July 2022, a chronic condition from which he is now in remission.
Ms Bates added: ‘It’s amazing how positive it is. He is the most amazing guy you will ever meet. He is so happy and bright. We are very proud of him.
What are the symptoms of strep A? How does it spread? And is it the same as scarlet fever? Everything you need to know about the killer bug sweeping Britain
What is strep A?
Group A streptococcus bacteria (group A strep or A strep) can cause many different infections.
The bacteria are commonly found in the throat and on the skin, and some people have no symptoms.
Infections caused by Strep A range from minor illnesses to serious and fatal illnesses.
They include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever, and strep throat.
While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria cause a disease called invasive group A strep disease.
What is invasive group A strep disease?
Invasive group A strep disease is a sometimes life-threatening infection in which the bacteria have invaded parts of the body, such as the blood, deep muscles, or lungs.
Two of the most serious, but rare, forms of invasive disease are necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.
Necrotizing fasciitis is also known as the “flesh-eating disease” and can occur if a wound becomes infected.
Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome is a rapidly progressing infection that causes low blood pressure/shock and damage to organs such as the kidneys, liver, and lungs.
This type of toxic shock has a high mortality rate.
READ MAILONLINE’S FULL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT STREP A.
