Boy, 14, in pain with extreme eczema tells mum he wants to be put in induced coma – The Mirror

A boy who is crippled by excruciating pain caused by his extreme eczema has said he wants to be put in an induced coma to stop the agony.

Barney Rae is just 14 and was diagnosed with severe eczema last year, which has left him covered head to toe in itchy rashes and unable to sleep.

Despite trying many different remedies - some which mum Miranda, 50, claims left him looking like he'd been in an acid attack - Barney is still in agony.

The youngster from Bristol, Avon, has even told his mum that he wants to be put in an induced coma because he can't deal with the pain anymore.

His mum Miranda is now desperate to help her beloved son get back to his normal self, by raising money for urgent and fast-tracked treatment to calm his skin once and for all.

Miranda, a radio broadcast manager, said: "Barney is at his wits end. He just wants to go to sleep and wake up when the eczema is all gone.

"He's even said to me that he wants to be put in an induced coma because the pain is that bad.

"He's got to the point where he's too scared to sleep. He scratches himself unknowingly when he's asleep and will wake up bleeding head to toe.

"At the worst points he blames himself because of it, even though it's not his fault at all.

"The whole process has been torture for him for the last 10 months. He barely gets any sleep which affects him on a daily basis.

"It's heartbreaking to see my child go through this, especially at an age where he's so aware of what he looks like.

"He's allergic to almost all of the prescribed treatments and ointments, and home remedies don't work well.

"One new cream was tested on his face but he had a bad reaction to it and it looked like he had acid thrown at his face. It was awful.

"The NHS have tried so hard to help him and are doing their best but it's a very slow process of working through different treatments.

"He can't carry on like this and he needs something that works, so we want to go private and try to find out exactly what's going on. We really need help."

Barney started suffering with eczema aged 4 to 11, but after seemingly disappearing, the condition came back out of the blue in October last year worse than ever.

Miranda believes there is no obvious trigger for Barney's skin condition, and he has had many inconclusive allergy tests and follows a strict diet with no dairy.

She said: "When he first had eczema, one topical steroid ointment worked and he got better, but that no longer works for him, along with many other creams and alternatives.

"It's got to the point now where I'm so worried about him. He never used to have eczema on his face until now - it's everywhere and he's so self conscious about it.

"We've been putting bandages on to help him stop scratching but one night he came into me shocked and it looked like he had seen a ghost.

"He was shaking and bleeding from his neck downwards, saying he couldn't believe what he'd done to himself.

"Because of the exhaustion, he doesn't realise he's itching and scratching himself red raw. It's a completely uncontrollable urge."

Oral steroids prescribed by doctors appear to temporarily help Barney, his mum says, but doctors were unable to keep him on them.

He is now trying a leukaemia drug, Methotrexate, which takes months to work and has potentially dangerous side effects.

Miranda said: "When he was put on a strict regimen of oral steroids, had to shield and do online school because it affects the immune system.

"He has a week or two of peace when having oral steroids but as soon as he finishes the course, it comes back worse than ever and he's absolutely terrified.

"He can't always be on steroids because it will affect his bones, give him diabetes and lots of other horror stories, and the Methotrexate makes him sick and nauseous, so we're at a loss for what to do."

Miranda has now set up a fundraiser to raise money for a private specialist medical consultation - which costs 300, and means she will have to pay for any prescribed treatment.

She added: "I've got to do whatever I can to improve Barney's situation and I'm willing to do whatever it takes.

"I just want to see him back to his normal self and I would give anything to take it away.

"Seeing your child suffer like this on a daily basis is horrific.

"Not only has he got the daily pain and agony, it's the sleep deprivation and psychological feeling that it's his fault that affects him as well.

"The NHS has been great but he needs a quicker process. I've been told by lots of other people that when they've gone private, the eczema has been sorted immediately.

"We have no immediate family and no one to support us, it's just me and Barney, so the support we've had from others has been really amazing so far."

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Boy, 14, in pain with extreme eczema tells mum he wants to be put in induced coma - The Mirror