The mother of a Caithness teen who almost died after a football struck his head is poised to lodge a formal complaint with NHS Highland after her family’s terrifying ordeal.
The Press and Journal revealed yesterday how Owen Mathieson, from Wick, underwent an emergency operation to wash out a brain infection which developed from a bleed caused by the impact of the ball.
But local doctors initially told Maria Mathieson that her 14-year-old son had concussion and that his headaches would fade in a week, despite also exhibiting swelling above the left eye, an unusual sensitivity to light and a high temperature.
The 42-year-old mother said her boy “might not be here today” if the family had followed this initial medical advice.
After Owen’s symptoms worsened that night, doctors performed a CT scan to reveal the extent of his injuries and he was taken first to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary before being transferred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.
Medics told Mrs Mathieson her son “could die” from the emergency operation which took place four days after he was first seen by a local doctor.
By this point, he had lost all speech and was left paralysed on the right side of his body.
Mrs Mathieson has called for a paediatrician to be based permanently in Caithness after the family’s terrifying ordeal, and is now penning a letter to the local health authority.
Yesterday she said: “I am in the process of writing a letter of complaint to NHS Highland highlighting what Owen has been through and what I feel their failing has been with no paediatrician based at Caithness General.
“Hopefully they will consider a change. If not, we (Owen’s family) will take it further because it’s such a serious thing that they don’t have.”
Following the operation on July 21, Owen regained his speech but needed a physio’s help to retrain his right arm and leg.
He spent five weeks recovering in the Edinburgh hospital and a further three weeks at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, while taking a further course of antibiotics to fight a small amount of infection which surgeons could not reach.
The antibiotics caused side effects such as body rashes and pancreatitis, although he finally stopped taking them yesterday.
But the teenager has missed a whole term at Wick High School, and may miss his National 5 exams next year to let his brain heal properly.
He must also avoid playing football and badminton until next year due to moveable titanium screws in his head.