A young boxer who has battled back from a deadly brain infection has been hailed a medical miracle.
Joe Lamont was put on full life support and flown 130 miles for specialist care after his brain swelled late last year, causing multiple seizures.
Over Christmas, he was sedated and his parents had no idea if he would wake – and whether he would have his sight, hearing or memory if he did.
But against all odds, the schoolboy – who recently met the air ambulance crew who helped save him – astounded medics and his parents with his fight back to full health in a matter of weeks.
And now every time the 11-year-old enters the boxing ring, or rides his bike, his parents have to pinch themselves that it is real.
Joe, of Westhill, first fell ill just a week before Christmas, suffering from a headache and vomiting.
He was eventually diagnosed with enchephilitis – a life-threatening condition which is more common than meningitis. He was flown to Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children, and sedated.
His mother, Emma, 35, said: “We just couldn’t believe what was happening to our boy. Nothing can prepare a parent for seeing their child on life support. Our world had fallen apart.”
Her husband, Chris, 37, followed by car and grandparents looked after the couple’s other three children, Sam, six, Franky, three, and Fern, two, during the ordeal.
Joe was taken off the ventilator on Christmas Day and managed to breathe on his own, but remained unconscious for another few days.
Mrs Lamont, who is a children’s nurse, said: “It was about December 29 when he woke up and started to communicate.
“He could only say one or two words and at first he couldn’t see properly. It took quite a lot of time for his vision to come back to normal. But every day all the things started to come back and he gradually he got his strength back.
“We were so pleased with how brave he was being and how determined he was to get back on his feet.”
And remarkably, within weeks he was back at school.
He also goes to boxing lessons twice a week and plays badminton at the weekends.
Mrs Lamont added: “A lot of the time they (the doctors) were using the words ‘miraculous recovery’. I don’t think they expected him to come off Scot-free. He’s been very lucky.”