Reuben Mather was one of a handful of children in the UK to suffer a stroke after mum Holly noticed his face droop in the bath – with the possibility it may have been caused by chicken pox
A toddler had to wait more than five hours for a scan after suffering an incredibly rare stroke potentially caused by chicken pox which left him unable to speak.
Mum Holly Mather was bathing two-year-old Reuben at home in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, when she noticed he looked in pain. When the youngster’s face began to droop on one side – a tell-tale sign of the catastrophic brain injury – she sprang into action and dialled 999.
Little Reuben then waited nearly an hour for an ambulance, before he was brought to Worcester Royal Hospital at 7.30pm and wasn’t seen until after 9pm. Dad Liam Mather told how he begged doctors to carry out a CT scan, which they eventually did at midnight confirming the parents’ suspicions.
“He’s a healthy, normal two-year-old boy – it was completely out of the blue,” Liam told The Mirror. Moments before the stroke, Reuben had been pulling a grimacing expression “as though he was in pain”, before Holly, 33, noticed he was rubbing his eyes and the corner of his mouth had dropped.
“The 999 operators didn’t put it as a priority which is unbelievable,” he said. “Holly had to call them again to upgrade it. When they got to hospital, they said they thought it was unlikely he had suffered a stroke and they thought he would just get better on his own.”
Liam had not been at home at the time, but rushed to the hospital to join the two, where they were waiting in A&E to be seen, frantic with worry. He said: “As a father, I got there and Reuben didn’t even recognise me. I was telling doctors, ‘he needs a CT scan’. It took me half an hour to convince them.”
Reuben was then given aspirin in the early hours of the morning – nearly eight hours after he first displayed the signs, with the scan revealing he had suffered “significant damage” to the left side of his brain. “The doctors we saw at Worcester had never seen a stroke in a child Reuben’s age before,” Liam added.
“As fantastic as the NHS are, unfortunately there are just too many people, and not enough resources. If you go to A&E, you’re just waiting in an ambulance.”
Reuben, who fell ill in May, has since been transferred to a specialist paediatric stroke unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and has lost his speech, but as brain plasticity in children his age is greater, he is slowly starting to regain it. He’s also lost movement down his right side.
Only 400 children suffer from strokes each year in the UK, but the rate in youngsters below five is even smaller. As with Reuben’s stroke, the risk is higher in children who have recently had chicken pox in the last six months – which applied in Reuben’s case.
NHS advice if you suspect someone is having a stroke
Anyone who suspects someone could be having a stroke is urged to call 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance.
According to NHS guidance, it’s important to get to hospital as soon as possible, even if the symptoms disappear while waiting for an ambulance. The main stroke symptoms can be remembered with the word FAST:
- Face – the face may have dropped on 1 side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have drooped.
- Arms – the person may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in 1 arm.
- Speech – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake; they may also have problems understanding what you’re saying to them.
- Time – it’s time to dial 999 immediately if you notice any of these signs or symptoms.
Other symptoms may include paralysis on one side of the body, loss or blurring of vision, nausea, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, confusion, disorientation/loss of balance or severe headaches. Patients can also become unconscious.
Parents Liam and Holly, who also have daughter Ivy, six, have now set up a Gofundme page for Reuben’s rehabilitation and care. The money will be spent on speech therapy, as well as physiotherapy and any installations the family will need at home.
Liam also put out calls for parents to be aware of the risks of strokes in young children after recovering from chicken pox, which can cause vasculitis – inflammation of the blood vessels – in the brain. “Holly recognised the dropped face straight away and knew he needed an ambulance as soon as possible. It’s so important to act quickly with strokes – timing is crucial.”
Dr Jules Walton, joint Chief Medical Officer at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Where concerns are raised about care received we will undertake a rapid review and investigate further where required. Due to patient confidentiality we are unable to comment further at this time.”
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
