Mum Of Teen Who Went Blind After Living Off Crisps Says NHS Should Have Done More

The mum of a teenager who went blind after living off a diet of crisps, chips and chocolate has blamed the NHS.

Eighteen-year-old Harvey Dyer will only eat Wotsits, Quavers, chocolate bars and chips and has been that way since he was two. But his poor diet has resulted in him losing vision in his left eye.

His mum Kerry James appeared on ITV's This Morning, where she said she believes that a vitamin A injection could have saved Harvey's sight.

ITV

Kerry insisted that she's not a bad mum and explained that Harvey, who has ADHD, would be sick and would 'sweat, cry and scream' if he was offered any other food.

She said: "I've done everything. I know people say it's probably because I'm a bad mum and neglected him. I don't listen to any of that.

"I've fought for Harvey from the age of two and I'll continue fighting until he has that healthy balance of life.

"At the end of the day he's our priority and I couldn't have done anymore."

She told Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield that she took Harvey to see a paediatrician when he was younger, but she couldn't get him to take the medication and medics told her it was his responsibility to eat a more varied and healthy diet.

She said on the programme: "Back in December when we were told it was down to nutrition. We think if they'd done the blood test then and realised the Vitamin A was so low they could have given him the Vitamin A injections then and he could see a lot more out of that right eye and we could have saved it a lot better.

"Now we've just got to wait and see.

ITV

"We were offered the milkshakes and things like that, but at the time you weren't able to take it at all. I think she said to him you're getting older now you need to take responsibility and eat these foods."

Harvey added: "The comment that was made was if I was a teenage girl it would be completely different."

Also on the show was Urusula Philpot, dietitian at Leeds Beckett University, who said that what happened to Harvey 'shouldn't have happened'.

Topics: uk news

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19