In a tragic set of circumstances, Claire and Mark Timmins from Walsall in the UK, have released this image of their son seven-yr-old Mason who was struck down by the disease almost without warning and subsequently died.
Mason’s parents are now urging families to get their children vaccinated against the horrific disease.
Mrs Timmins said:
“It is quite shocking but that’s what we want as hopefully it will make people sit up and listen. We want to raise as much awareness as possible and keep campaigning for this vaccination.”
She continued:
“It’s very well for babies to have it but what about all the other children? There has been more and more cases and people need to think not only about the rash but the other symptoms as it can get hold quickly and can result in death. It is important to look for the rash – but there are other signs too.”
Mrs Timmins said her son’s death was absolutely horrifc but that the family want to raise awareness and stop the tragedy occuring for another child and family
She said:
“It was very hard to deal with and still is. Mason was just seven-years-old and he was fit and healthy. He was always smiling and always had something to say.
One Monday morning I heard him coughing and then he started to be sick – I thought it was just a sickness bug as to be honest I had seen him a lot worse and it was nothing out of the ordinary.
But by 3.30pm he started to get a temperature. I gave him some Calpol but it didn’t go down.”
By the time the morning, little Mason was tragically about to pass away.
Claire continued:
“He felt ill at 6.30am and by midnight he was brain dead.”
Mason’s life support was switched off at 2.30pm the following day.
Mrs Timmins said: “I couldn’t believe it was true, I just thought why us? I was angry and frustrated.”
“Everything happened so fast it felt like we were on the outside looking in and it was all a dream.”
“We were just praying for a miracle thinking they were wrong and he was going to just wake up – he looked like he was sleeping. It hit us more on the car journey home. We went in with our son and came out with a box with his hand and footprint in and a leaflet on how to deal with bereavement.”
The family have now released this image and hope that other families can recognise the symptoms before it’s too late.