Elizabeth has to prick her little boy with needles every day…
When my son, Matthew, was a baby, I noticed some small blisters on his feet, bottom and mouth.
‘I’m afraid Matthew has epidermolysis bullosa,’ the doctor explained to me and my husband, Alan, 45.
The skin condition made Matthew erupt in scarlet blisters all over his body. There was no cure – all we could do was manage the condition. Each day, we had to burst his blisters with a small hypodermic needle to stop them breaking naturally and getting infected. We gave him painkillers, but he still cried. It broke my heart, but we had to do it.
Changing his nappies was awful – they’d stick to him and pull off strips of skin. And when he walked, he’d sob in pain as the blisters between his legs rubbed together. A dermatologist suggested some special socks, called Carnation Silversocks, for Matthew to try. They kept his feet cooler and reduced the number of blisters, I just wish we could find a cure for the rest of his body but, until then, we’ll have to carry on bursting his blisters.
Matthew’s seven now, and determined not to let his skin get in the way of his fun.
Elizabeth Taylor, 38, Meopham, Kent.
You can find more information about Carnation Silversocks at the website www.silversocks.co.uk, and they can be ordered from our website www.firstaidfast.co.uk
