The mum of a little girl who was left in a wheelchair after playing with slime says they feel like prisoners in their own home.
M’Layah Chapman suffered a severe eczema flare-up after using a store-bought slime last summer.
The nine-year-old, from Fallowfield, was playing with the sticky sensory toy with a friend when small spots started appearing on her skin.
The strange spots turned into bumps and later into blisters which would seep and become infected.
Alarmed by her daughter’s deteriorating condition, M’Layah’s mum Katherine decided to take her to a GP.
Her infection skin eventually became so severe M’Layah ended up in a wheelchair and spent time on a hospital ward.
The family are running out of options
(Image: Katherine Chapman)
And although the youngster had suffered from eczema since she was a baby, the skin condition worsened drastically after playing with the popular gooey substance.
Sadly, following various treatments and creams, M’Layah continues to struggle with her extreme flare-up – the pain impacting every aspect of her daily life.
“Since she played with the slime, everything has been bad,” mum Katherine, 43, told the Manchester Evening News.
“Her body got infected and her eczema flared up to the point where she couldn’t walk.
“Her skin flared up and cracked on her legs. She couldn’t put them straight and they stayed bent for a while. They were very sore and all tender down the back.
“It’s impacted her every single day to the point where the doctor has referred us for support and management on living with long-term conditions.
M’Layah’s severely dry and sore skin
(Image: Katherine Chapman)
“We can’t go to Whacky Warehouse like other children. We can’t go to the markets for a hot chocolate. When we go out, which is very rarely, she won’t even use a public toilet. I can’t buy any clothes off any old website; I have to make sure it’s 100 per cent cotton.
“We’ve become prisoners in our own home because of her eczema.”
M’Layah’s struggles with eczema and allergies started when she was just six-months-old.
Katherine noticed the tot had a red face when she started weaning her onto baby food instead of breastfeeding.
It was later discovered M’Layah was allergic to oranges, soya, citrus, milk, nuts, wheat, dust mites and trees.
Katherine, pictured left, and daughter M’Layah, far right, in happier times
(Image: Katherine Chapman)
Though she’s always struggled with allergies and dry eczema, Katherine says her condition has deteriorated massively since playing with the slime she bought her in 2023.
And while it’s never been proven the slime caused M’Layah’s skin to severely flare-up, Katherine believes it may have been the reason.
“It’s out of my control,” Katherine said. “I can get support with medication, but the eczema flares up when it feels like it wants to. As an adult, I wouldn’t want to go through this.
“She’s off school because it weeps and it’s everywhere – you can see the scratch marks.”
Eczema (also called atopic eczema or atopic dermatitis) is a very common non contagious dry skin condition affecting one in five babies and children in the UK, according to Allergy UK.
M’Layah has blisters all over her body
(Image: Katherine Chapman)
The common symptoms of eczema are dryness, itch and redness to the skin. Eczema often appears in the first few months of life, and for most children their eczema often improves as they get older.
However, for some children with more severe eczema, there is a possibility that this will persist into adult life.
There is currently no cure for eczema, but avoidance of trigger factors (those which make the eczema worse) and a clear eczema treatment plan for managing eczema will help manage symptoms for most children.
Sadly, running out of options to ease her suffering, M’Layah and her family are now looking into light therapy, which uses UV light to reduce inflammation.
“It’s impacting her mentally now,” Katherine added. There’s not enough awareness. It’s been traumatic for her and it’s been upsetting.
“Watching your child in pain and there’s nothing you can do – I wake up and I don’t know where [the eczema] is going to be the next day. Is it going to be on her face?
“It’s really stressful. It’s the lack of sleep and the fact I’m now a nurse to my own child and giving her education. It’s quite shocking.
“I’m hoping it settles down and she can have a nice Christmas.”