A four-year-old boy from Perthshire is facing months in intensive care after his kidneys failed.
Oaklié Boss, from Abernyte, has a rare condition and had to be airlifted to hospital after taking ill.
Now, his parents have been told he could spend months in the Glasgow Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
What was thought to be a stomach bug quickly escalated and within two weeks little Oaklié and his family had to be transported from Ninewells Hospital to Glasgow.
Devastated grandmother Jacqueline Foster, has now started a Gofundme for her grandson this week, to help support Oaklié’s mum and dad while they stay with their son.
Before he became unwell, Oaklié, who has Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome, was getting excited to attend Abernyte Primary School after the summer.
Jacqueline said: “He’s a typical four-and-a-half-year-old, he should have been going into school.
“He was all set, he had been to see his primary school in Abernyte.
“He was going to be starting there in August and he was looking forward to it and then he was ill about a week ago with a sickness bug.
“In reality, his kidneys had failed and he needed urgent medical attention so he was airlifted down on Thursday last week to Glasgow Queen Elizabeth Hospital and he was put in ICU down there.
“The toxin levels in his blood were seemingly the highest they’ve ever seen – a very sick little boy – but they were amazed by how bright he was.”
Jacqueline said the hospital have advised the family that Oaklié is likely to be there for months.
She said: “It’s a waiting game.
“They have said it’ll be a very long haul and it’ll be months before he gets transferred back to Ninewells.”
Oaklié’s dad took to TikTok to appeal for help for his son.
The video includes little Oaklié being airlifted to Glasgow with a teddy bear he was given by one of the pilots.
@foster_sb #farmboy#johndeer#HUS #kidneyfailure#gofundme#dougedebordeaux#bestfriendsforlife#helpme#SCAA#fyp#foryourpage#kidney#donate
Jacqueline said that when Oaklié was in the helicopter he cuddled the teddy the whole journey and was even cuddling it when his parents arrived after him.
She said: “Unfortunately mum and dad couldn’t go in the helicopter with him so he got this teddy bear and he cuddled it all the way down.
“When his parents got there after him he said: ‘I beat you dad’ because he got down there first in the helicopter.”
‘He calls me ‘Gaga’
Oaklié’s Grandma described how he calls her ‘Gaga’ and that he is a very lively and cheeky little boy who loves the outdoors.
Jacqueline said: “He is a very lively, active little boy, I’d probably say hyperactive.
“He never stopped, before lockdown I would look after him quite a bit.
“He calls me ‘Gaga’.
“He’d play outside 24/7 if he was allowed to do it. He hates being cooped up.
“He loves going for walks and he’s cheeky. Very, very cheeky at times.”
Oaklié’s parents have been provided a flat by Ronald McDonald House Charities and Jacqueline is hoping that donations to the Gofundme will also help provide her grandson with things he needs while in hospital to keep him active and entertained.
So far it has raised over £1,700.
Jacqueline, who lives in Burrelton, described how it felt to have people in the Perthshire community and beyond donate to her go fund me for Oaklié.
She said: “I’ve lived in this area since I was 12 and I have supported so many different causes, people being ill, village hall, the school and things like that.
‘There are people out there who care’
“You don’t think anything of it. I never thought that myself or my family would ever need their support but I reached out and quite a lot have donated already or have sent me words of encouragement.
“You don’t want to ask for help, you don’t always want to have to need, it but if it’s there when you do need it, it’s just a brilliant feeling, knowing that there are people out there who care.”
To donate to Oaklié’s fundraiser visit the website here.