Dundee mum Leigh’s delight as son Riley is allowed home for Christmas

Dundee mum Leigh Welsh has been given the perfect early Christmas present after her son Riley was allowed home from hospital in time for the big day.

The brilliant news comes after what Leigh Welsh described as the “scariest two weeks” of her life when she feared she could lose Riley and face Christmas without him.

Leigh said: “I’ve never cried so hard. I’ve been given the best Christmas present I could ever wish for, my little Riley breathing and home, cosy and comfy.”

Nine-year-old Riley was born with complex physical and learning disabilities and requires 24-hour care.

Since lockdown Riley has shielded at home with his mum, Leigh, and was doing relatively well.

However, earlier this month Riley caught a cold bug he couldn’t fight off and has spent most of his time since on a ventilator in hospital in Edinburgh.

‘I wasn’t sure we’d be coming home with our precious boy’

Now, however, he has made a much hoped for recovery and has been allowed home.

Leigh said: “I can’t thank our NHS enough I am so grateful for the service we are so, so lucky to have available to us.

“I wasn’t sure we’d be coming home with our precious boy and there were some dark moments where I felt this is what I was going to be preparing for.”

Leigh added: “This year has been very strange. We have wrapped Riley in cotton wool and he’s not been around anyone.

“We have done all we could to keep him safe. We’ve changed our lives around and isolation has meant he’s had no immunity or resistance to normal bugs and I strongly believe this is the reason he’s become so unwell.”

Leigh said she believed one of the main reasons Riley has made a recovery is thanks to the Advanced Biomechanical Rehabilitation (ABR) therapy programme he has been on

ABR is a unique therapy which rebuilds the strength, structure and function of the body.

It is a ‘hands-on’ manual therapy that is similar to deep-tissue massage. It focuses on fascia; a type of connective tissue found around and between muscles.

Riley was born with microcephaly, a condition which stems from the skull being small and impacts brain development, leaving him immobile and non-verbal.

He was also born with a tracheo-oesophageal fistula which meant his oesophagus wasn’t attached to his stomach, leaving him unable to swallow food.

Riley has a feeding tube and colostomy bag and has a minor hole in his heart. The Kingspark School pupil is also epileptic, as well as blind and deaf.

Leigh said: “I also truly believe Riley’s strength has grown massively in the past 18 months from his ABR therapy.

“This natural and hands-on therapy that he enjoys has changed his quality of life massively.

“I remember saying earlier this year that Riley was the happiest and healthiest he’d ever been thanks to ABR therapy and a few months later death was staring us in the face.

“It really doesn’t bear thinking about and I wouldn’t wish anyone to have to endure the pain our family has through this awful time.

“It’s been the scariest two weeks of my life and I am physically and emotionally pooped.”

She added: “He’ll be getting plenty cuddles from mummy and I really hope we get our smiley boy back very soon once he’s rested and fully recovered.”

Leigh’s aunt, Alison Smith, has launched a £6,000 fundraising campaign to help pay for more of the ABR therapy programme.

So far a total of £1,505 has been raised. Click here for more info