A DESPERATE mum is pleading for help to get her young son walking 'pain free' after sepsis caused tissue in his hands and feet to die.

Little Jakub Kolek was just 18-months-old when he was rushed to hospital and medics were unsure he would survive.

Despite pulling through, little Jakub had severe damage to his limbs and lost multiple fingers and toes.

Now, Jakub is six-years-old and struggles to walk everyday.

His mum is now trying to raise funds for a £60,000 operation that could give her son the 'chance to be normal'.

She said that she remembers him become unwell so vividly, from everything to the sound of the ambulance from the smell of the corridor in the hospital.

The 32-year-old from Edinburgh said she had become 'scared' by the way her son looked.

His arms and legs had turned black and she remembers feeling 'mad with despair and fear'.

"My child was dying before my eyes.

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What is necrotising fasciitis?

NECROTISING fasciitis is a rare but serious bacterial infection that affects the tissue beneath the skin, the surrounding muscles and organs.

It's often referred to as a "flesh-eating" disease, though the bacteria don't eat the flesh.

Rather, they release toxins that damage the nearby tissue.

The condition can start from a relatively minor injury, such as a small cut, but can progress and get worse very quickly.

If it's not recognised quickly, the condition can become life-threatening.

Symptoms can develop quickly, and early signs include:

• a small but painful cut or scratch on the skin
• intense pain that's put of proportion to the damage on the skin
• a high temperature, or fever – similar to flu

After a few days, it's likely you'll notice:

• swelling or redness in the area, which will often feel firm to touch
• diarrhoea and vomiting
• dark patches on the skin that turn into fluid-filled blisters

Necrotising fasciitis is a medical emergency that can spread very quickly. It is important if you suspect you are suffering with it, you dial 999 immediately.

"The doctors said they did not know if he would make it. At one point, only his heart was still beating. So I prayed", she told the Daily Record.

Thankfully Jakub had enough strength to pull through, but Karina now says their nightmare has continued after Jakub suffered with Necrotising Fascitis, which is a bug that affects the tissue beneath the skin and the surrounding muscles.

He lost a lot of tissue in his feet and has undergone some reconstructive surgery to help repair his feet so he can walk better.

But during surgery, medics said he had damaged growth cartilages, so he will need more surgery to help him walk.

Karina said if Jakub does not get surgery soon then it will result in more damage.

"Not only will that cause more pain – but in the worst case may lead to Osteomyelitis, a type of swelling in the bone, which could make him seriously ill again", she said.

The cost of the operation in Poland is £60,0000 and so far, Karina has raised £485.

Single mum Karina said she is struggling on her own and that while her son survived he is 'crippled'.

"I wholeheartedly ask for this help so that my son can live without pain, without a wheelchair and walk normally like other children in future", she added.

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