A mum is urging parents to trust their instincts after her little boy’s symptoms were repeatedly ‘dismissed’ by doctors.
And, as a result, tot Edison’s life was on the line.
Chloe Wyman knew something wasn’t quite right after the now four-year-old had been rapidly losing weight.
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After doctors diagnosed him with constipation, teething, being a picky eater and possibly a virus, she and her partner, Aran Pierce, were left with conflicting information.
The pair, aged 34 and 38, had a gut feeling it wasn’t any of those issues, though, and pushed for answers after Edison randomly fell asleep one morning; which was out-of-character.
It was then made clear he had type 1 diabetes and was in diabetic ketoacidosis; and was only hours away from death.
Their story comes weeks after a campaign, with 125,000 signatures, was delivered to Downing Street to introduce Lyla’s Law.
Lyla, who was only two, was diagnosed with acute tonsillitis, which was actually type 1 diabetes, and died less than 24 hours later.
“Being told he was only hours away from death is something that will stay with us forever,” the mum, from Essex, told Need To Know.
“The doctors said: ‘He is very poorly, you have to let us save him.’
“It’s no words a parent wants to hear.
“It was absolutely terrifying.
“When he was taken to be treated, everything happened so quickly.
“There wasn’t time to fully process what was happening – we just had to trust the team and hope he was going to be OK.
“As parents, that feeling of not knowing if your child is going to survive is indescribable.
“It was fear like we’ve never experienced before.
“We felt completely helpless watching him deteriorate; especially knowing we had asked for help the day before.”
Chloe recalls the day before his diagnosis in March 2024, taking him to A&E with a list of ongoing symptoms.
During an assessment, the parents were asked if anybody in their family had a history of diabetes; not aware of the gravity this question posed.
Despite already being at hospital, they were advised to get a referral from their doctor for further tests and were reassured there was “nothing to worry about”.
But then, Edison went rapidly downhill.
She said: “He began vomiting and we grew increasingly concerned.
“We spent the whole night researching his symptoms, including diabetes.
“At the doctors, we asked for a finger-prick test that showed high blood glucose levels and ketones.
“This, ultimately, saved his life.
“But no parent should have to watch their child become critically unwell before getting answers.”
Doctors worked quickly to stabilise him – giving fluids and insulin to bring his levels down safely – and after two days, he was stable.
Since then, the family have educated themselves on the four T’s to look out for – toilet, thirsty, tired and thinner.
All of these recognisable symptoms act as early signs of Type 1 diabetes or a potential ketoacidosis episode.
Edison now does his own finger pricks daily and is learning how to cope with his condition.
Chloe added: “As parents, it is incredibly difficult to process that there were missed opportunities to recognise what was happening sooner.
“Both of us trusted the advice we were given, but deep down, we knew it wasn’t right.
“Looking back, the signs were there, but we didn’t know what to look for – and that’s the problem.
“Our lives have changed completely.
“It’s a serious, lifelong condition that requires constant care, attention and vigilance each day.
“It needs the same level of awareness as meningitis.
“And greater accountability within healthcare settings so that the signs are recognised and acted upon earlier.
“If sharing our story helps even one family recognise the signs sooner and avoid their child’s life hanging in the balance, then it’s been worth it.
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