A SCHOOLBOY was left fighting for his life after suffering double kidney failure.
Nathan Lawrence, 11, had to be sedated for three days as doctors battled to save him.
His mum Kerrie said he had been suffering from a range of symptoms including leg cramps, headaches and a swollen face for a few weeks before.
But a string of doctors told her he was suffering from growing pains, migraines and hayfever, and prescribed him Piriton and paracetamol.
After an out-of-hours doctor again prescribed painkillers and told Kerrie to take him to his GP, she decided to take him to accident and emergency.
Hours later, he was fighting for his life.
Kerrie said: "I honestly believe if we had taken him any later he would not be here now. Before this, he was really outgoing, he loved his activities and sport. He was always fit and healthy."
At A&E, alarm bells started ringing when doctors took a urine test. They immediately sent the family to the paediatric ward.
"We were there for six hours and Nathan was lying in the bed in agony," said Kerrie.
"He had lost his co-ordination. I felt helpless."
Doctors then gave the family the devastating news that Nathan had suffered kidney failure.
"You don't expect to go into hospital with your son and come out finding out he has kidney failure," said Kerrie.
"How he had managed to carry on in the condition he was in surprised them."
Nathan was taken to Leeds General Infirmary that night for specialist treatment.
"It was scary as hell," said Kerrie.
"They got him to intensive care straight away to start working on him and they took me into a room and told me he may not make it, that they had cases in the past where children had not.
"Then, within five minutes of stepping in that room, they also told me it was both his kidneys that had failed and they needed to get him under control."
Kerrie was told Nathan's kidneys were undersized and had been working extra hard throughout his life.
Having had to leave husband Val back in Hull with Nathan's brother Liam, five, and sister Bethany, seven, she was beside herself.
"I was out of control," she said.
"When I eventually went up to intensive care six hours later, he had pipes and tubes coming out of everywhere. I panicked. The minute I saw him I just broke down. A few days earlier, he was still playing football."
Doctors had sedated Nathan while they battled to bring his condition under control. "He stayed like that for three days," said Kerrie.
"They took the paralysing drug out and we waited. He gradually was able to respond with nodding.
"He asked his dad and me if he was going to die.
"You don't know as parents how to answer that sort of question. It was awful."
After Nathan's condition was brought under control, he was allowed out of intensive care, and eventually back to his Rosedale Grove home in west Hull.
Seven weeks on, Nathan now has ten hours of dialysis per night and will need several kidney transplants throughout his life.
Kerrie said: "To be honest, how he is now is unbelievable. We told him his kidneys had failed, that they had stopped working and that he was going to need another kidney to replace the bad ones, but that it takes time and he just went with it.
"He asked if he was going to be OK and I said 'yes'. It is under control now."
As well as dialysis daily, Nathan is on a very strict diet.
Kerrie said: "Nathan is coming more and more out of his shell and getting back to himself.
"There have been moments where I have had to ask if he has anything on his mind and he is starting to ask us questions which is great.
"His brother and sister are really glad to have him back. They missed him."
