Oliwier was given a 0.1% chance of survival when he developed sepsis and he had to have both legs amputated.
The operation meant Oliwier recovered but learning to do things can be tough for the two-year-old.
Despite the double amputation, mum Patrycja Szymanska, 28, always wanted ‘nothing to be impossible’ for her son and she was delighted to film him riding a bike for the first time yesterday.
‘It was an amazing moment when we first watched him cycle, he is such a brave and happy boy and doesn’t let his condition get in the way of being a kid,’ she said.
‘He has been learning how to walk again over the last couple of years with prosthetics and has gotten really good with them.
‘It has been a long process for us to get where we are now and seeing him engage in all the things children are supposed to do is amazing.
‘Oliwier is developing properly, he is a real rascal and is better at walking in prostheses, he is always smiling and never gives up. There is nothing impossible for him.’
He was just two months old when he developed meningococcal sepsis and necrosis and had to have his legs amputated in February 2018.
His mum, of Wroclaw, Poland, added: ‘He woke up crying and feverish during the night. We went to the hospital and they left him for observation.
‘Then we received information that Oliwier had meningococcal sepsis and they are taking us to another hospital, because here they are not able to help us.
‘After two days, we heard that there is 99.9% probability that Oliwier would not survive it. He had septic shock, acute multi-organ failure, extensive necrosis of over 50% of his body and his kidneys were not working for almost a month.’
Eventually, his condition improved enough to wake him from his induced coma but he then needed surgery to deal with the damage caused.
His mum said: ‘They dealt with necrosis there, which took up over 50% of his body, it was on his calves, buttocks, hands from elbows.
‘Doctors had to amputate part of the right foot and the left lower leg. He underwent many operations. The doctors had to cover the entire right lower leg with skin transplants.
‘So when I think back to everything he has gone through, watching my little boy ride a bike for the first time was a magical moment.’
Oliwier finally learnt to ride his bike after getting prosthetics and having his amputations.
She said: ‘I will never forget the conversation with our doctor because he looked at us and completely emotionlessly said “I don’t know what the effects of the disease will be, he shouldn’t be here with us, but the boy is clearly not going anywhere.’
But his family are now raising money to continue to buy prosthetics and equipment as he grows.
‘The costs of prostheses are huge, they have to be replaced every four to six months,’ his mum added.
‘The price of a running prosthetics for a child at our prosthetist is around £6,800 for one leg.
‘He will need two of these prosthetics, and I reckon that one day he will come to me and say “Mom, I want to run”.
‘The growing costs of prostheses are related to the fact that the bigger it is, the more possibilities and the more solutions are there to improve the quality of walking.
‘We will continue to try and raise money so that he can continue to ride his bike, run, play and enjoy his childhood – but right now we’re just so thankful that he made it through everything.’
You can donate to his fundraising page here.
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Get in touch at metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/30/toddler-who-feet-amputated-due-sepsis-learns-ride-bike-13197793/
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