NI schoolboy suffered horrific burns caused by toxic plant

A County Tyrone schoolboy landed up in hospital with severe burns after coming into contact with a toxic plant.
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Twelve-year-old Jack McElhone was playing basketball with a group of friends when the ball overshot the net and ended up in vegetation on waste ground beside Orritor Street play park in Cookstown.

Jack, who was wearing shorts, recovered the ball and when he returned home he had a shower before going to bed.

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HIs mum Michelle said: "In the early hours of Friday morning the redness started in his legs and it just progressed from there.

Jack's legs were severely burned.Jack's legs were severely burned.
Jack's legs were severely burned.

"I thought it looked like a wee bit of sun burn inside one of his legs and on the front of the other and took him to the chemist.

"She (pharmacist) said it was an allergic reaction to something and gave me tablets and cream. But it just kept progressing until things got out of hand and I went to the A&E in Dungannon on Saturday, Sunday and Monday."

Michelle said on the Monday photographs of Jack's legs were sent to the burns unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and he was admitted to the children's hospital later that day.

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"He doesn't remember feeling anything when he went to get the ball," she continued. "It's down on his diagnosis as burns to (giant) hogweed."

Jack McElhone who suffered severe burns to his legs after coming into contact with a toxic plant.Jack McElhone who suffered severe burns to his legs after coming into contact with a toxic plant.
Jack McElhone who suffered severe burns to his legs after coming into contact with a toxic plant.

Giant hogweed is an invasive species with skin burning sap which can result in permanent scarring or even blindness if it gets into your eyes.

Jack, a first year pupil at Holy Trinity College in Cookstown, spent two days in the children's ward in extreme pain before being discharged.

His mum said Jack "never slept for days with the pain" and has to go down to see a plastic surgeon later this month about the scarring.

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He loves sports, particularly basketball and football, but has been told by the doctors that he can't wear shorts for a long time as contact with the sun could cause a flare-up.

His leg developed large blisters.His leg developed large blisters.
His leg developed large blisters.

Michelle has to dress Jack's burns each day, and he has to use crutches to get about.

"He has gone through a lot," she went on. "I would not like another wee child to go through what Jack has in the last two weeks."

Cookstown Councillor John McNamee raised the matter at the council's environment committee.

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"I would have the concern that our parks are reopening, it is just a small fence separating the play park from this land and balls will go in there again," he said.

"We will need to take some serious action to make sure we can identify and eradicate it, whatever it is."

A council official said that they have identified the owner of the land and communicated with them on Monday advising that there may well be an invasive species on that property.

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