Toddler who was slowly being crushed to death by his spine must wear a special cast 24/7 to straighten it
By STEPHEN MATTHEWS FOR MAILONLINE
A toddler with a crooked spine must wear a special cast for 24 hours a day to prevent his lungs from being crushed.
Charlie Ferris can not even bathe while he wears the suit because water would prevent it from working properly.
The 13-month-old, from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, has scoliosis – twisting of the spine – which if left untreated could kill him.
His family were told he would need to wear a plaster jacket for four months to stop the curve from becoming worse.
But after scans revealed his condition was deteriorating rapidly, his alarmed parents travelled to the US for a special cast which moulds his spine back into shape – in an attempt to save his life.
‘But I didn’t care how much it cost. We’d live in a tent if needs be to pay for the treatment and getting there. I was prepared to move.’
They first noticed Charlie’s back was twisted in October 2015 after his father Jody, 36, noticed an abnormal bend.
After an X-ray at Belfast’s Musgrave Park Hospital, he was officially diagnosed with infantile scoliosis and doctors confirmed he had a 28° curvature.
