A mum has vowed to try and raise the £60,000 needed for her son to walk pain free again after sepsis robbed him of his toes and fingers
Six-year-old Jakub Kolek nearly lost his life when he picked up a serious infection when he was only 18-months old.
The boy, from Edinburgh, Scotland, was rushed to hospital when his condition quickly worsened, the DailyRecord report.
He pulled through but the sepsis caused severe damage in his limbs, causing the tissue in his hands and feet to die.
His mum Karina Kolek, 32, has now opened up on her heartbreaking ordeal - and says she will do whatever it takes to get him the operation he desperately needs.
She has vowed to fundraise cash for a potentially life-changing treatment that could give Jakub "a chance to be normal".
She said: "I remember those moments when Jakub was first ill so clearly.
"I was scared by the way my son looked. His arms and legs were black. I was mad with despair, fear, pain, helplessness - it is impossible to describe.
"My child was dying before my eyes.
"The doctors said they did not know if he would make it. At one point, only his heart was still beating. So I prayed.
"Fortunately, God gave my son one more life and Jakub had enough strength to survive."
Medics discovered he has damaged growth cartilages after he underwent some reconstructive surgery.
That will require further operations to help him to walk without pain - but it will cost £60,000.
Single mum-of-two Karina has launched a fundraiser for further reconstructive treatment from a specialist team in Poland.
She added: "Some of his fingers could not be saved but his feet suffered the most. That is where the greatest tissue loss is.
"I am fighting for my son because I believe this is the only chance he will have to function like other children.
"If Jakub does not get this surgery soon, it may result in more damage to the skin.
"Not only will that cause more pain - but in the worst case may lead to Osteomyelitis, a type of swelling in the bone, which could make him seriously ill again."
In a plea for help towards his treatment Karina said: "I'm a mother with two children, alone, and I will cannot cope with it on my own.
"Jakub survived, but he is crippled.
"I wholeheartedly ask for this help so that my son can live without pain, without a wheelchair and walk normally like other children in future."
To donate to the fundraiser for Jakub's operation click here.
