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My life or death vigil
THIS little boy's innocent face masks a killer breathing condition that means his family must mount a constant vigil to keep him alive.
Last night two-year-old Lucas Hibberd was at Sheffield Children's Hospital to help turn on their Christmas lights and support an appeal to buy the latest sleep monitoring equipment which will help other children like him.
Lucas' rare condition, obstructive sleep apnoea, means his devoted parents Joanne and John take turns to stay awake at night to keep a watchful eye over him as he sleeps in a cot beside their bed.
The Barnsley youngster has survived dozens of emergency dashes to Sheffield Children's Hospital since developing the rare condition as a tiny baby.
Little Lucas also has epilepsy and suffers fits which can trigger a day time attack.
The condition means his parents and three siblings have to constantly watch over him and be ready to react if he suddenly falls ill.
Mum Joanne, aged 29, from Heysham Green, said: "It's about keeping him near, he's never far away from me."
She told The Star of her terror when Lucas repeatedly stopped breathing on his way to the Children's Hospital. She said: "His fits have been extremely frightening. Sometimes he's gone rigid, other times he's gone floppy, we just didn't know what to expect.
"There were times when I had to stop the car on the way to the hospital to revive him."
Lucas has spent months of his short life in Sheffield Children's Hospital being monitored and undergoing several operations to remove tissue from the back of his throat to make it easier for him to breath.
Children with sleep apnoea are also at risk if they do not get restful sleep in the long term as their bodies are not able to expel enough carbon dioxide.
High levels of the gas poison the body and if left untreated the condition can be fatal.
It is hoped that Lucas will grow out of the condition as he gets older and his airways expand, making it easier for him to breath normally.
The family are backing the hospital's Christmas appeal to raise 30,000 to improve sleep testing facilities in the hospital.
"Most people are not aware of why the hospital needs to raise money," said Joanne.
"If it wasn't for the hospital we don't know how we'd cope."
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
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