As black eyes go, little Kolben Palmer’s shiner was right up there with the best of them.
The Paisley tot plunged and hit his head on the telly unit in the lounge of his Ferguslie Park home.
Within a couple of hours, his parents James and Hazel realised something was badly wrong
Their fear increased as even touching the 15-month-old while they raced to hospital led to another bruise.
Hazel, 27, said: We took him straight to the sick kids’ hospital in Glasgow and he came out in more marks and bruising.
“It was terrifying and we felt we might lose him.
“We were in for a full week. He had a bone marrow biopsy and about eight canulas in him.
“James and I couldn’t be there together, we just had to exchange updates at the door.
“They knew pretty quickly it was Kolben’s immune system that was attacking his blood cell platelets.”
Kolben, above on a hospital chair, was diagnosed with chronic blood disorder Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) and will have to live with it for the rest of his life.
The red blood cells are attacked by the immune system and become so low the blood is unable to clot – leaving dangerous bleeding.
The family has already raised £425 through raffles and now a JustGiving page has been set up to provide Christmas presents for the children of ward 6A at the children’s hospital.
Kolben was born on St Valentine’s Day last year and it was when he fell on May 19 this year they realised something was badly wrong.
He was given three blood transfusions when his platelet count dropped to 0.03 – normal is between two and three.
Hazel admits she was constantly on Google learning about the
condition.
They are hoping Kolben is currently in remission as the latest blood count was 1.5, with check-ups decreasing from every two weeks to every eight.
He is seen below fighting fit with dad James.
Kolben’s three big sisters Keris,11, Kaitlyn,six, and three-year-old Kyla are all helping ensure he is OK.
Hazel added: “ITP is a lifetime condition, but is manageable and we are taking it as it comes.
“We keep a right close eye on him, especially if he bangs himself.
“The reason we are raising the money is the nurses in ward 6A are amazing and give so much.
“We want to buy Christmas presents for the children unfortunate enough to be in there.”
Kolben, keeping fit below, is now 18 months and will join his dad James Donaldson on a sponsored walk dressed as superheroes round Ferguslie.
James,33, said: “It was the worst time of our lives when he was in hospital.
“He is such a wee soldier, a solid character who just gets on with it.
“We are doing the walk some time in November and Kolben will be Superman and I will be Batman.
“We just want to do it for the children as the nurses and team at the hospital were there for us every minute of the day and night.”
To help Kolben’s family raise money for Christmas presents for the kids in the Royal Hospital for Children, in Glasgow, go to www.facebook.com/hazelpalmer2020 where you can find a JustGiving link
