Blackburn Rovers praised for gesture to Wilpshire boy with genetic disorder

Oliver Robertson, 11, from Wilpshire, has a rare genetic condition called Phenylketonuria (PKU) which means his body is unable to break down the protein in foods such as meat and fish.

If left untreated the consequences could be disastrous and potentially leave Oliver with brain damage.

Oliver (right) with younger siblings Isabelle and Archie (Image: Gina Robertson)

His mum, Gina Robertson, said he was diagnosed with the condition as a baby.

She said: “When he was born all babies have a routine heel prick test and he was diagnosed at birth.

“It was quite a shock really and I had never even heard of it before. We wouldn’t have known without the heel prick test.”

The condition is mainly controlled through a low-protein diet that completely avoids high-protein foods such as meat, eggs and dairy products, and controls the intake of many other foods, such as potatoes and cereals.

Protein is a vital element to a person's diet, as it help the body repair cells and make new ones.

It is also important for growth and development in children, teens, and pregnant women.

Most people need one to two grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day.

Oliver Robertson with his family and staff members from Stables Pies (Image: Gina Robertson)

Gina, 30, said: “If not treated it could cause him to become disabled, unable to talk and walk.

“Even when he is on the diet his levels can still become high, which can have an impact on his mood and behaviour.

“If he sticks to his diet he can live a happy, healthy life. He still goes to a mainstream school.”

The mum-of-three said managing Oliver’s condition has become second nature to the family but say eating out can still be a challenge.

She said: “All of his food has to be weighed out, he has to have a supplement every day to replace the proteins he isn’t getting from food, and he has weekly blood tests that get sent off to Manchester.

“It’s difficulty because you can’t just go out for a meal because of his dietary requirements.”

Gina said the family has been lucky when receiving their correct order when dining out, although there have been some mix-ups with the drink order.

Oliver can’t have aspartame, which is a product found in diet drinks. Gina said there have been some situations where restaurants have brought these out by accident.

Gina, who runs Stables Pies, in Whalley, with her husband Callum, has since praised Blackburn Rovers for accommodating Oliver’s dietary requirements.

She said: “To celebrate out two year anniversary of running Stables went to see a Rovers match and had a three course meal. We are also sponsors of the club.

“I messaged the head chef asking if we could bring some food for Oliver, I was just thinking a packed lunch so he wouldn’t miss out.

“I received a call telling us to bring ingredients and that he had to be included.

“He ended up with a three-course meal of his own that was suitable for him.”

The meal consisted of a tasty soup starter, a main course which included low protein sausages, and a special dessert made with Oliver’s food mix that he gets on prescription.

Gina said: “We took in a box of his dessert mix and they made it up. I am not sure what the chef did but they made it into a mousse and served it with sorbet.

Oliver's dessert at the Blackburn Rovers meal (Image: Gina Roberston)

“Oliver, who is also a massive Rovers fan, couldn’t believe he could have it, he was just beaming.

“He was honestly so made up that he could have a three course dinner that looked and tasted amazing.

“It’s just little things like this that really make a difference to someone. To him it meant he didn’t miss out and was included.

“It makes me quite emotional, especially as he is getting into his teenage years now and noticing his differences.

“You expect them to be too busy for you but it’s so nice that they wanted him to be included and that it wasn’t a problem for them.”

According to the NHS, with early diagnosis and the correct treatment most children with PKU are able to live healthy lives.

Around one in 10,000 babies born in the UK have PKU.

PKU does not usually cause any symptoms if treatment is started early.

Without treatment, PKU can damage the brain and nervous system, which can lead to learning disabilities.

Other symptoms of untreated PKU include:

• behavioural difficulties such as frequent temper tantrums and episodes of self-harm
• fairer skin, hair and eyes than siblings who do not have the condition (phenylalanine is involved in the body's production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin and hair colour)
• eczema 
• repeatably being sick
• jerking movements in arms and legs
• tremors 
• epilepsy
• musty smell to the breath, skin and urine