A youngster who was airlifted to hospital two weeks ago has had his week brightened thanks to donations from the Perthshire community.
Oaklié Boss, from Abernyte, was airlifted Glasgow Queen Elizabeth Hospital when his kidneys failed, leaving him severely ill.
Grandma, Jacqueline Foster, set up a gofundme for her grandson last week which had raised just over £1,700.
A week later, donations have doubled to £3,265, to help make Oaklié’s time in hospital easier.
Jacqueline has so far used the money to buy things for Oaklié to keep him entertained while in isolation in his hospital room and to help support his parents while they stay in Glasgow.
She said her grandson has “definitely been brighter” recently and has been playing with all his new toys, but still has a long hospital stay ahead.
She said: “He’s got a very low attention span, he can only go five minutes playing with one thing before he says ‘right that’s it I want to play with something else now.”
Jacqueline has also used some of the money to buy essential things for Oaklié and his parents such as a blow up bath, food carriers and coolers, as well as food for them all.
Oaklié has a rare illness called Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome, and when he first became ill his parents thought it was a stomach bug before realising his kidneys were failing.
Jacqueline said the donations have been a great help to Oaklié’s mum and dad, who had to travel to Glasgow immediately when their son took ill.
She said: “They went straight down to Glasgow with nothing.
“They’ve got to concentrate on Oaklié.
“They couldn’t do it without this.
“You need to live and you need to buy things and there’s no income coming in so it’s just a worry off their minds.”
‘It’s more positive now’
Jacqueline said that things are starting to look up for Oaklié, but he’s not in the clear just yet.
She said: “It’s more positive now, the infection has gone and his blood has stabilised.
“He’s a bit more brighter and more alert.
“The week before we didn’t know whether he was going to make it.
“It’s just fingers crossed now that the kidneys haven’t actually got permanent damage, if and when they do start working again properly. It’s just a waiting game.
“The doctors have said that they’re happy with all the potassium and the calcium levels but they’re not jumping for joy yet.”
One thing helping four-year-old Oaklié is being able to drink Irn Bru Xtra, which he calls his “strong man juice”, because it gives him much-needed energy.
Because of his blood transfusion, Oaklié wasn’t allowed to drink for days, however the doctors found he can now have 20ml of his favourite treat every hour.
Jacqueline said: “He was getting beside himself just wanting a drink.
“He likes what he calls ‘strong man juice’, he loves Barr Irn Bru Xtra.
“He is absolutely highly delighted at getting this Irn Bru Xtra and he feels he’s getting the power into him and he’s going to be a strong man again.
“A little thing like that has made his day.”
Four-year-old Oaklié is missing his puppy back home, but he gets to Facetime him while in hospital.
@foster_sb
Jacqueline said: “He’s a lot brighter but he just wants home.
“My daughter had Facetimed him and all he wants is his puppy, he says ‘my puppy misses me’ that’s what he was saying to her, ‘my puppy crying, he wants me home’.”
The doctors have said that the situation remains that Oaklié could be in hospital for months to come as Jacqueline said “it’s still a long haul”.
Jacqueline wanted to thank everyone for their kind donations and said she can’t believe how generous everyone has been.
She said: “The donations have been brilliant, I can’t thank everyone enough.
“People are so generous, especially strangers not knowing who you are.
“A lot of people do know us who have given donations but there’s so many strangers that are just donating because of what it’s for and I can’t thank them enough.”
The gofundme target is now £4,000, to donate, visit the website here.