AN Urmston youngster has recovered from a rare disease which affects just 80 in every one million people.

Six-year-old Thomas Yates, was diagnosed with a Kawasaki Disease three months ago, but only after a deeply worrying time for his parents Mat and Abi.

Left untreated the disease causes the blood vessels to become inflamed and swollen with up to 5 per cent of children developing heart conditions, which in 1 per cent of cases can prove fatal.

The symptoms for Thomas, who is a pupil at Our Lady of the Rosary RC Primary School pupil started with cold and throat infection type symptoms, which steadily got worse.

Unable to get a GP appointment, Jon took him to Trafford General walk-in centre, where a doctor suggested getting the child into the children’s ward at Wythenshawe Hospital immediately.

Despite having a raging temperature, a rash on his body, lesions to his back and swollen lymph nodes, medics were initially uncertain what the boy had.

Abi said: "He went from being an energetic, happy six year old boy with no health issues, to a weak and frail poorly little boy and we were terrified we might actually lose him. Seeing our boy so ill and not being able to do anything to relieve his pain was heart-breaking."

It was not until his fourth day in hospital that Kawasaki Disease was diagnosed and Thomas was given intravenous immunoglobulin antibodies, that his condition finally began to improve

The Kawasaki Foundation, is holding a global awareness day on Monday, (Jan 26) to make parents and the medical profession aware of the disease.

Abi added: "Thomas was lucky, he was treated on day four of his fever. Unfortunately, too many children aren't diagnosed in time, they sometimes go on to have heart problems. This is why raising awareness is so important."