'Whooping cough robbed me of my son' - Mother urges pregnant women to get vaccine
A mother whose son was left brain damaged after contracting whooping cough as a baby is urging pregnant women to get vaccinated.
Spike Ray from Henfield, West Sussex, spent weeks in hospital after developing whooping cough at 11 days old.
His mother, Susan, photographed him every day after doctors warned that each day could be his last.
Susan Ray, Spike's mother, said: "I was a staff nurse. For me, I've seen lots of medical machinery, but when it's your own child, it takes on a whole new level.
"I don't think you can process it, you kind of get swept along. It was the most fearful time of our lives."
More than 7,500 cases of whooping cough have already been recorded in 2024, with 1,500 of those in the South East.
That's almost nine times the level seen in the whole of 2023.
Spike survived but the respiratory infection led to life-changing consequences. He's brain damaged, has delayed speech and cerebral palsy.
At 16, he just enjoyed his summer prom but he won't be able to experience the same independence as other teenagers.
Susan said: "He can't even do simple things like going out on his own. Whooping cough robbed me of my son.
"I mourn for that child that I lost. I have a different child, but the boy that I lost, I still mourn for that child. It never goes.
"He's on daily medication because he developed epilepsy as a result of the brain injury. He takes melatonin to make him go to sleep. This is all a result of the whooping cough."
A jab for expectant mothers was made available in 2012, five years too late for Susan.
Pregnant women are now urged to get vaccinated as whooping cough cases are increasing.
Susan said: "If I could turn back the clock, I would be running to my GP to get that vaccine done. It's not only a cough, it's a killer.
"Look at the damage that's been done and this is what we have to deal with every single day."
Despite being under regular observation from doctors, Spike lives every day positively.
Susan can only wonder how much more potential he would have if she'd had access to a vaccine.
ITV News Meridian presenter Matt Teale spoke to Deborah Waddell, Respiratory Specialist Nurse, Asthma and Lung UK
Signs of whooping cough
The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat (a high temperature is uncommon).
After about a week, you or your child:
Will get coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are worse at night
May make a "whoop" sound – a gasp for breath between coughs (young babies and some adults may not "whoop")
May have difficulty breathing after a coughing bout and may turn blue or grey (young infants)
May bring up a thick mucus, which can make you vomit
May become very red in the face (more common in adults)
The cough may last for several weeks or months
Source: NHS
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