What are the odds of that! Bookie diagnoses baby's life-threatening condition after father pops in to place Grand National bet
Hospital doctors misdiagnosed baby Amelia with gastric reflux
Bookie recognised symptoms of pyloric stenosis that had affected her baby a decade before
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UPDATED:
09:58 GMT, 20 April 2012
A father who visited his local bookies to put a bet on the Grand National found his luck was in – after the bookie diagnosed his baby's life-threatening condition.
Mark Parsisson popped into his local William Hill to place a bet on the popular horse racing event, with little Amelia, who was unwell.
He got chatting to the cashier Vicky Leonard, who immediately recognised the
symptoms, and wrote the condition down for him on a betting slip.
Mark and Jane Parsisson, with son Jake and daughter Amelia: A bookie diagnosed Amelia's stomach condition after NHS staff failed to
Doctors at the Royal Bolton Hospital, Greater Manchester, had twice told Amelia's parents that her vomiting and incessant crying was caused by a
common problem called gastric reflux, which can usually be eased by more
frequent feeds and extra burping.
But Amelia was in fact suffering from – a rare the narrowing of the opening from the stomach into the small intestine – that could have left her fatally dehydrated.
Vicky recognised the disease because her own daughter, now 11, had
suffered with it as a baby. The condition causes severe projectile
vomiting and typically occurs in babies aged two to six weeks.
All better: An operation has fixed Amelia's rare condition
Mr Parsisson did some quick research on the internet then took Amelia straight to
Manchester Children’s Hospital, where she was correctly diagnosed with
the condition.
Amelia Grace quickly underwent a 40-minute operation which fixed the problem.
Now the sales manager, who lives with his wife Jane, 32, and son
Jake, 8, from Bolton has started
legal action against the Royal Bolton Hospital.
Doctors at the hospital diagnosed gastric reflux when Amelia Grace was aged two weeks and seven weeks.
Mr Parsisson said: 'She was in pain constantly, crying all the time. We have been stuffing her with medication that she has not needed for nine weeks.
'I just feel that we were pacified for being over-protective parents when our baby was on the verge of death.
'I want to make other parents aware of this. I am just so relieved, we went through a journey from hell.'
When Ms Leonard, 35, heard Amelia Grace’s symptoms she said she knew exactly what was wrong with her.
'It was bizarre, he was explaining what was going on with his baby and
it was like he was saying what had happened to me,' she said.
'I had the exact same problems with my daughter when she was two weeks old, it was just hell.'
Luck was in: Mr Parsisson put an each way bet on Sunnyhillboy (pictured right) who came in second behind Neptune Collonges (left)
Pyloric stenosis affects about one in every 350 babies, usually boys.
It prevents the baby digesting milk and causes them to vomit, which can lead to severe dehydration and in some cases, death.
Royal Bolton Hospital bosses defended the diagnosis, saying babies with
pyloric stenosis usually lose weight as well as the other symptoms.
In pyloric stenosis, the muscles in the lower part of the stomach enlarge, narrowing the opening of the pylorus and eventually preventing food from moving from the stomach to the intestine
Head of communications Heather Edwards said: 'If a baby is only
displaying vomiting without being dehydrated and losing weight this is
more likely to be a different diagnosis such as gastric reflux.
'We’re very sorry if Mr Parsisson feels that staff did not explain this
to him fully and also that he did not feel they were taking his concerns
seriously.
'Meanwhile we’re pleased to hear that little Amelia is well and hope she continues to make good progress.'
And Mr Parsisson's flutter paid off as well. He put
a fiver each way on Sunnyhillboy, who came in a very close second.