Eleven-year-old Billy Caldwell suffers up to 100 seizures every day due to his intractable epilepsy. To help his condition, a doctor in the US prescribed him cannabis oil, which has been shown to help ease the number of seizures as well as their intensity.
On his Just Giving Page, mum Charlotte commented: "It is hard to believe that Billy is now 11. We were told he would barely turn one never mind be alive a decade later. The fact he is still here and come so far is even more reason to try and get him the best treatment possible."
Credit: Facebook/Keep Billy Alive
The cannabis oil that Billy uses only contains CBD and has no trace of THC, the chemical in weed that gives you a high.
But Billy began running low on his prescription and his condition resurfaced. Charlotte started a fundraising page to help her cover the costs of other treatment. On the site she commented: "It is heart breaking watching the seizures take over his wee body, they leave him completely depleted. Billy is already starting to show regression, his mouth muscles are becoming very weak and his right eye is starting to turn in slightly, this is the damage that the seizures can do if not treated urgently."
Billy was urgently taken to his GP, to see if he could get some more oil under the NHS. Last year laws were changed to allow cannabidiol, known as CBD, for medical purposes only. The doctor who prescribed the oil, Dr Brendan O'Hare, told The Telegraph: "Whatever the rights and wrongs, we had a child who had benefitted and the child's welfare was paramount. On that basis I issued a prescription.
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"It bides us some time so our authorities can properly consider this. This was not to open the floodgates for others, it is a one off special case."
The family from Castlederg, Northern Ireland, then headed to their local pharmacy to pick up the life-saving treatment.
You can see the video here:
Credit: Facebook/Keep Billy Alive
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On the Keep Billy Alive Facebook page, Billy's mum wrote: "A huge heartfelt thank you to Greenlight Medicine and our wee Warriors Doctor, Pat Dohert MP Sinn Fein, and John Burton, who walked with us every step of the way."
The Republic of Ireland legalised medicinal cannabis late last year. The bill, passed in Ireland's lower house, seeks to serve those suffering from life-threatening or debilitating illnesses like cancer and MS. Cannabis is known to work as an anti-emetic in chemotherapy patients and greatly improve their appetite and personal health.
Credit: PA
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Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart has revealed he uses a variety of medical marijuana products to help improve his health. He told Mail Online: "Two years ago, in Los Angeles, I was examined by a doctor and given a note which gave me legal permission to purchase, from a registered outlet, cannabis-based products, which I was advised might help the ortho-arthritis in both my hands.
"It helps with sleep as the pain was reduced. The spray, however, is much more usable and I spray my fingers and particularly my thumb joints several times a day.
"I have had no negative side effects from this treatment and the alternative would have been to continue taking NSAIDs, Advil, Aleve and Naproxen, which are known to be harsh on the liver and to cause acid reflux."
The UK is expected to be a few years off from having medical legislation like in America. For now, at least young Billy has the treatment necessary to keep him alive.
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Source: The Telegraph, Just Giving and The Daily Mail
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Keep Billy Alive