A dad has told of the moment his son became one of Britain’s youngest stroke victims - after he diagnosed the condition thanks to a TV advert.
Phil Kerman, 39, said he was horrified when he found his 19-month-old son Ronnie ‘unresponsive’ and ‘floppy’ in his crib.
The tot, who has a twin brother Robert, was rushed to hospital where his and his wife Lisa’s ‘worst nightmare’ was realised.
Medics told the couple that Ronnie had two cysts and a non-cancerous tumour on his brain.
As they wait for an operation to remove the tumour the family are using a secret weapon to help their little boy recover – his twin brother Robert.
Yesterday the toddler visited Ronnie in hospital and went straight up to give him a kiss.
Their proud dad, Philip said: “It was great to see.
“Robert went straight up to him and touched his face and said, ‘Hiya, Hiya’.
“He was trying to give him a kiss. Ronnie smiled from ear to ear and his eyes lit up when he realised it was his brother.
“We’re hoping that brotherly love will help him recover quicker.”
Doctors are now racing against time to drain the cysts - which keep refilling - to save the tot’s life.
The tumour and cysts – described by medics to the family as looking like ‘Mickey Mouse ears’ – are due to be removed later this month.
The toddler has been left partially sighted and the family are waiting for news about the long-term effects.
Dad-of-three Phil, of Hull, East Yorks, said of the moment he saw his son stricken: “I was shocked to see him in his cot crying in pain and unable to move.
“I lifted one arm up and then his leg and they both had gone floppy. I laid him down to crawl because he can’t walk yet and he couldn’t crawl.
“I immediately thought he’d had a stoke and remembered one of those TV adverts and I told my wife Louise to phone an ambulance.”
Mum Louise, 37, added: “I was so scared and shaking so much I couldn’t call the ambulance” and her husband had to take over.
Scans showed ‘a dark patch’ on his brain after being taken to Hull Royal Infirmary on February 2nd.
He was then transferred to Leeds LGI hospital the same day where they confirmed he had suffered a stroke.
Stents have been placed on his brain to drain the cysts as doctors diagnosed Ronnie with Neurofibromatosis - a genetic disorder that causes tumours to form on nerve cells.
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