The family of a little boy with a rare condition has spoken of their heartache as he fights for his life.
Milo Browne, from North Shields, suffers from a rare degenerative condition so unique it is known only as M3BHA and there is no diagnosis.
The condition causes Milo to suffer from seizure and respiratory problems and he is unable to talk or eat, sit or stand without being fully supported meaning he needs 24-hour care.
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Sadly, Milo's health declined last week and his respiratory issues have gotten worse, with the little fighter needing 15 litres of oxygen to be stabilised and has been put on a BiPap machine to help sustain his breathing. His mum and dad Stephen Browne and Laura Davidson have been faced with difficult conversations as they fight to keep Milo alive.
Stephen said: "When you see a team running around trying to keep him stable, putting 15 litres of oxygen through him and then the next morning speaking to his consultant and saying if it wasn't for the fact that Paediatric Intensive Care Unit was full at that very moment the conversation we would now be having is end of life."
If Milo's condition worsens it will require him needing more support in the PICU - a move that would see Milo placed on a ventilator and unlikely to come off support.
Stephen added: "As soon as they put Milo on support he is going to go very quickly and that is now the reality that there is no extra support that can be given.
"They do feel they can get him home, it might not be Christmas or this year but it is the aftermath of that. How will he recover? What will he go home on? What will happen the next time he comes in?
"We have to have these conversations now, do we want him intubated? Do we want him in hospital until the end or do we want him home? You never want to make that decision and you don't want your child to suffer.
Milo was admitted to hospital at the end of last year and his health deteriorated again in March.
Stephen said: "March was our biggest fear when he went downhill, with seizures constantly and needing support with his oxygen, and going from a few hours of BiPap and by BiPap and oxygen, and not losing a big chunk of himself in that stay and knowing that all it is going to take is something to tip these scales and he's going to plummet even more.
"It is just the reality that his time is short.
"When you are saying is this his last Christmas and they bite the lip and can't say yes and can't say no, and if he gets the flu in the next few months will he bounce back? No, there is a high chance of him being intubated, most definitely."
The family hopes Milo is here to share their special moments in the future.
Stephen said: "All these things we had planned for Milo, like walking down the aisle, me and Laura getting married, being able to take him abroad. There's a long list of stuff that we put off and put off.
"Everyone sees him as a happy boy and a smile that melts hearts but when they are standing in front of you saying he is a critical boy, there is a fine line that any blip this is where he goes.
"You never want to be in that position. You can't keep him wrapped up because that's the worst thing for him.
"He hasn't got that fight left in him. He hasn't got that strength he once had."
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