The Harbottle family never imagined when their son, Euan, caught the chicken pox that they would lose him forever in a matter of days.
The four-year-old fell ill in January earlier this year. The usual hallmarks of an average case of childhood chicken pox such as blister-like spots appeared on his body, and his parents, Harry and Sian contacted their local GP. Within 24 hours of seeing the GP, Euan’s condition deteriorated rapidly and he was rushed to Galloway Community Hospital in Stranraer where he died just hours later.
“We had no idea that chickenpox could lead to this,” dad Harry (66) told The Daily Record, “All children get exposed to chickenpox – you even hear about some people holding chickenpox parties, so their children pick up the virus when they are young.”
The doctors told the stunned parents that their son was one of the rare children (one in 100,000) who suffer a fatal reaction to the illness. According to the Daily Record, the gregarious little boy developed blood poisoning as a result of his immune system being weakened by the infection.
Harry describes the ordeal:
“We rushed him to hospital thinking they would maybe put him on a drip, get some fluid into him and he would be fine – but that’s not how things worked out.”
“We could see the life draining out of him, and there was nothing the doctors could do to stop what was happening. By 11.30 that morning, he had died.”
The community in Portpatrick, Scotland were shocked and saddened at Euan’s passing:
“Euan knew a lot of people in his own right, not just through us,” explains Harry.
“Although Euan’s life was very, very short, he packed a lot of fun into it.”
“He loved playing outdoors, running along the beach, watching the stormy waves come crashing in, climbing rocks and looking out to the sea while swinging on a swing.”
This week, the week that Euan should’ve been starting school, the brave family have opened up about their loss to raise awareness of a plan to build a beautiful harbour-side playspace in his memory.
“One of his favourite places to go was the play park by the harbour, but it has become very rundown. So we had the idea of trying to establish a wonderful new natural playspace on the same site in his memory,” says Harry, a children’s play specialist, who along with Sian, a garden designer, wishes to honor their son and also help the community.
“As well as helping the village in its grief, it would be a focal point for children and young families to come and gather around playful activity.”
“We have to accept that what happened to Euan was very rare and very unlucky,” says Harry, who is also taking part in the Great Scottish Swim this week in memory of his son and to raise support for Euan’s Playspace.
“He was such a lovely, clever and generous boy, and we are so proud of him.”
“Euan was such a gentle boy – we miss him so much,” Sian added.
Visit GoFundMe to support this brave family.
Image via Facebook
For the HSE chicken pox guidelines visit their website here.
