Moray mum's blast at NHS

A TODDLER has been left with a potentially life-threatening spinal weakness which his mother has accused Moray medical staff of neglecting.

Annemarie Stanford with her son Jake (2) who suffers from a spinal condition which his mother claims was neglected by NHS staff.

Last year, two-year-old Jake Wright needed an emergency operation in Aberdeen to remove an infected dermoid cyst on his spinal cord.

Surgeons told his terrified mum, Annemarie Stanford, that there was a possibility the cyst could endanger Jake’s life or leave him paralysed.

The Forres tot is now making good progress with his recovery but remains vulnerable to the potential of getting spinal thrombosis, a complication that can have fatal consequences.

Miss Stanford (23) said her son’s cyst initially emerged as a spot on a birthmark at the base of his back, which she claims doctors at Forres Health Centre and Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin were not concerned about.

She believes Jake might not have developed the spinal cord weakness he now has if staff in Moray had acted quicker and referred him to Aberdeen children’s hospital a lot sooner than they did.

“At one point I thought I was going to lose him, he was that ill,” she said. “I wouldn’t wish any mother to go through anything like that.”