A desperate mum has launched a petition urging the Scottish Government to fund life-saving medication for her son and others like him.
Lisa Quarrell is appealing directly to the government to help fund medication that could save the lives of people with drug-resistant epilepsy like her son Cole.
The eight-year-old has been 'seizure-free' for eighteen months thanks to a private prescription of Bedrolite oil which costs around £1,000-a-month to buy.
Due to the pandemic, the family have been unable to fundraise to help pay for the expensive medication which is not yet available on the NHS.
Cole had undergone 20 different medications before Lisa got the private prescription from Holland which has dramatically improved his condition.
Lisa, from East Kilbride, has said the situation is now life or death for Cole.
She told Glasgow Live: "Cole was taken into hospital in March 2019 unresponsive. Since then he's been taking this oil from Holland and he's now been seizure-free for 18 months.
"We've been paying for it privately and have proved that it works and in the meantime have saved the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds that it would have cost if Cole kept being admitted, had to undergo brain surgery and rehabilitation.
"We've been told that it would be 'inappropriate' and a misuse of NHS funds to pay for the prescription but it could potentially save lives.
"If we take Cole off the medication he could die - it really is life or death. I'm a single mum with two young kids who works part-time - I can't afford to pay £1,000 a month.
"We started this journey in March 2018 and we're still waiting on the government to approve the medication which is available in other parts of the UK."
Lisa has launched a petition asking the Scottish Government to put funding in place to pay for Cole’s prescription which has so far attracted 1,700 signatures.
To sign the petition, click here.
