A little boy narrowly escaped death after doctors allegedly dismissed his rapid weight loss as a sign of being a picky eater. Chloe Wyman, from Colchester, Essex, knew something was seriously wrong with her son Edison, but medics initially diagnosed him with constipation, teething, and suggested he was simply a picky eater.
When four-year-old Edison randomly fell asleep one morning, which was out of character, Chloe and her partner Aran Pierce pushed for answers. Medics then discovered Edison was in diabetic ketoacidosis and was only hours away from death. The youngster pulled through, and now his parents urge others to trust their instincts.
Chloe, 34, said: "Being told he was only hours away from death is something that will stay with us forever. The doctors said: 'He is very poorly, you have to let us save him.' It's no words a parent wants to hear. It was absolutely terrifying."
Edison, it emerged, had type 1 diabetes. In a separate case, two-year-old Lyla Story from Hull was diagnosed with acute tonsillitis when she actually had type 1 diabetes, and she died less than 24 hours later. A campaign with 125,000 signatures was delivered to Downing Street to introduce Lyla's Law earlier this year. Chloe, a wellness massage therapist, backed this campaign following her own ordeal. She said greater accountability within healthcare settings is needed "so that the signs are recognised and acted upon earlier."
"If sharing our story helps even one family recognise the signs sooner and avoid their child's life hanging in the balance, then it's been worth it," Chloe continued. "As parents, that feeling of not knowing if your child is going to survive is indescribable. It was fear like we've never experienced before. We felt completely helpless watching him deteriorate; especially knowing we had asked for help the day before."
During an assessment at A&E the day before Edison's diagnosis, the parents were asked if anyone in their family had a history of diabetes, but they were not aware of the gravity of this question. Despite already being at the hospital, they were advised to get a referral from their doctor for further tests and were reassured there was "nothing to worry about." However, Edison then went rapidly downhill.
Chloe added: "He began vomiting and we grew increasingly concerned. We spent the whole night researching his symptoms, including diabetes. At the doctors, we asked for a finger-prick test that showed high blood glucose levels and ketones. This, ultimately, saved his life. But no parent should have to watch their child become critically unwell before getting answers."
Doctors worked quickly to stabilise him, giving fluids and insulin to bring his levels down safely, and after two days, he was stable. Since that harrowing day in March 2024, the family have educated themselves on the four T's to look out for: toilet, thirsty, tired, and thinner. All of these recognisable symptoms act as early signs of type 1 diabetes or a potential ketoacidosis episode. Edison now does his own finger pricks daily and is learning how to cope with his condition.
