Wigan mother knew something was wrong with her six-year-old son before Perthes disease diagnosis

A mother from Wigan says she knew there was something seriously wrong with her six-year-old after he was left in so much pain he couldn’t stop screaming.
Charlie will require further treatment but things have improvedCharlie will require further treatment but things have improved
Charlie will require further treatment but things have improved

Anna Williams’s son Charlie required multiple operations after being diagnosed with Perthes disease, which was not picked up by his local doctor.

The condition, which can impact young children, is the result of blood supply to the hip being temporarily disrupted, this then leads to the bone being weakened or damaged.

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Miss Williams, who lives in Aspull, said: “When Charlie started walking it was quite normal, but when he was three he started having a lot of pain in his legs. I took him to the GP and they said there was nothing wrong.

Six-year-old Charlie has been diagnosed with Perthes diseaseSix-year-old Charlie has been diagnosed with Perthes disease
Six-year-old Charlie has been diagnosed with Perthes disease

“It got to the point where it was that bad, he would fall and stumble. He was screaming in pain every day.

“I kept taking him back, but they continued to say there was nothing wrong and they wouldn’t do an X-ray because they were concerned that it could lead to cancer when he was older.”

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Miss Williams ended up taking Charlie to the hospital after he bruised his legs following a fall, which finally led to the Perthes disease diagnosis.

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If it is spotted early, measures can be taken to reduce the condition’s progress and it causing so much damage to the joints, while also ensuring the patient isn’t in so much discomfort.

Miss Williams added: “We were referred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. The specialist said it had been left that bad and unrecognised for so long, that they would have to operate.

“Charlie needed to have his hips broken, so he was in a wheelchair and he couldn’t go to school. I felt like I had been ignored completely.

“Due to it not being recognised it had got to the stage where surgical intervention was needed. I don’t feel like I can trust any GP now. I don’t feel like they listen.”

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While Charlie has received treatment, it is a condition that will continue to have an impact on him.

Miss Williams said: “Alder Hey has been amazing. He was obviously in a lot of pain and had to go through physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. Perthes is something that will never go away, his blood supply is cut off to his hips.

“He will need ongoing appointments and possibly a full hip replacement when he is 10. He won’t really get any better.

“I’m having to move out of our property because he’s got future operations coming up and it’s not adapted for him.

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“We’ve put a hospital bed in the living room for him and he has needed to have bed baths. He’s also lost lots of time at school.”

Despite some difficulties, Miss Williams has seen her son progress.

“He’s improved a lot. He still uses his wheelchair when his legs are bad, but he’s getting there. He can move around now, when before he couldn’t.

“It’s good to see because he can now be a normal child.”

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