An 11-year-old boy was left fighting for his life in hospital after his finger got infected - from gnawing at his nails.
Dylan Holliday, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, was taken to his GP in June after his concerned mum Kay Mitchell, 37, suspected he had an infection from biting his nails excessively.
But within a week, Dylan had to be taken to hospital by ambulance as his condition had deteriorated rapidly and he was repeatedly sick and struggling to stand.
He was screaming in pain and having episodes where he was delusional and hallucinating and losing consciousness.
Kay was shocked to learn that Dylan had Type 1 diabetes which had led to his serious health problems.
She said: “I was getting worried because he wasn’t getting any better - he wasn’t himself.
“I was afraid it could be sepsis, it never crossed my mind that it could be diabetes.
“He was just screaming out in pain and it was horrendous.
“When we got to the hospital he was falling in and out of consciousness, but you could tell he was in a lot of pain."
She said he had tried to rip out four cannulas that had been put in his arms and she described it as "terrifying."
He first complained of pain on June 13 which she linked to his nail biting.
Six days later, he vomited through the night.
Kay added: “He was just feeling so unwell and he couldn’t even carry his own weight.
“The next morning he woke up in agony and we had to get him to hospital because I was afraid of what was happening to him.”
Dylan was taken to Sheffield Children’s Hospital by ambulance, where he was taken through to the resuscitation area in the Emergency Department.
A CT scan and blood tests revealed that his blood sugar levels were dangerously high.
His sugar levels were nearly 30 millimoles per litre (mmol/L), while the normal levels of a healthy child should be between 4-7 mmol/L.
The teaching assistant said: “If we hadn’t brought him into hospital it doesn’t bear thinking about what could have happened to him.
“It was such a whirlwind 24 hours - I felt every emotion you could possibly feel.
“But we want to warn other parents to look for the signs because this can happen to anyone.
“Dylan was a healthy boy, and doctors said it could happen to an athlete or a couch potato.
“But if left untreated, this can be fatal.”
He was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, where he spent several hours before his condition was stable enough to move on to the High Dependency Unit.
Kay said: “The care we received was absolutely amazing from the moment we entered the Emergency Department.
"The compassion they showed, being able to listen to you sobbing and reassure you at your lowest moments, I’ll never forget that.
“They saved his life and I can’t thank them enough.”
After five days, Dylan was well enough to return home where he has now returned to his hobbies of drawing and playing computer games. He starts secondary school in September.
Kay says their lives have been changed by the diagnosis and the hospital staff have been a "constant source of support" along with the dietitians.
