In march 2008 at 5 months old Mitchell caught the rare Herpes simplex virus 1. This is caught by someone kissing a baby who suffers from the common cold sore virus. At first the doctors didn't know what was wrong with him, he was continuously having tonic clonic seizures. Finally the brain scans showed that it was HSV 1. After 7 weeks in HDU and then a further 4 weeks on the children's ward at UHCW we we're finally allowed to go home.. Being a single parent we moved down to Cornwall to be near my parents as I needed the support. Since 2014 Mitchell has under gone 8 hour major brain surgery twice at GREAT ORMOND STREET HOSPITAL - CORPUS CALLOSOTOMY, they cut the brain in half to try and limit the spread of epileptic activity between the two halves of the brain. Unfortunately this hasn't worked and Mitch continues to have at least 20 different types of seizures a day. Mitchell also has severe autism and learning disabilities.
We mainly stay at home as it's safer, and when/if we do go out it's difficult as Mitch doesn't "look disabled" so people just presume he's just naughty when he's probably having a "meltdown" or recovering from another seizure. He's now 10 (but the size of a 13yr old) he is obsessed with TOY STORY and MARVEL Superhero's so I'm trying to fund OUR FIRST EVER holiday.. for him to go to DISNEYLAND PARIS only for 3 nights in September so he can meet his Hero's!! It will be Mitchell's 1st holiday ever and will be just me, Mitch and his PA as he needs 2 to 1 assistant at all times..