A FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy was almost blinded in one eye after he developed a huge abscess.

Jake Davies, a St George’s CofE School pupil, had to undergo hours of surgery to drain the potentially life-changing infection, which developed quickly between his eye socket and nose.

After developing a high temperature he was taken by ambulance to hospital after a CAT scan revealed the extent of the infection.

Medics told the youngster's family if he was not operated on he could have lost the sight in his left eye.

Jake's mum Kerry Clarke, of Brathay Crescent, Barrow said the three hour operation, in which he also had nine teeth removed, felt like a 'lifetime'.

She said: "Jake was in surgery by 9.30am and was out by 12.30pm but that is a long time sat in hospital alone waiting.

"It was a big shock to me and Jake's dad, but thanks to the children’s ward staff they put our minds at ease.”

The youngster first started to feel unwell on July 23 and was taken to see the family doctor who diagnosed he was suffering from a viral infection.

But by the following day his temperature had soared to 39.3C and his concerned mum was forced to take him to A&E at FGH.

As his temperature remained high doctors decided to keep Jake in overnight. It was only after waking in the night that Miss Clarke noticed her son's eye had started to swell.

The following day the brave schoolboy was taken to Royal Lancaster Infirmary to see a specialist in the Ophthalmology unit before returning to FGH for a CAT scan which revealed the abscess.

Jake was quickly transferred back to RLI in an ambulance for the three hour surgery. While in recovery Jake had four tubes draining his eye and was placed in the High Dependency Unit. During the surgery doctors were also forced to take out nine teeth to get to the infected area.

Jake remained in RLI for three more days and had to return to the operating theatre to have the tubes removed from his eye. He then spent time recovering at FGH before discharged on August 12.

Miss Clarke thanked staff at University Hospital of Morecambe Bay Trust for all their support and care.

She said: “I would like to say a big thank you to all the ambulance crews, everyone on the children’s ward, the nurses at FGH and RLI and to all the surgeons and doctors that helped Jake to recover.

“All the nurses brought him little presents, including drawing and painting equipment which made him feel at home.

“He was also brought a dvd player and then his most favourite thing was an Xbox 360.”

Of the many people who supported Jake, Miss Clarke highlighted a particularly ‘lovely’ nurse from FGH's children's ward who was only supposed to be working until 8am when he was being transferred to RLI but stayed with them to help him settle before his surgery.