## One-Year-Old’s Severe Eczema Mistaken for Chemical Burns, Leaves Him Socially Isolated
A devastated mother has spoken out about her young son’s extreme eczema, which is so severe that strangers routinely mistake his red, inflamed skin for chemical burns, and other children often refuse to play with him.
Alana Spurgeon, a 32-year-old mother from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, has watched her one-year-old son, Koen O’Shaughnessy, struggle with full-body eczema since January 2025. What began as an ordinary case of childhood eczema quickly escalated, worsening to the point where it now covers his entire body except for his hands. Koen’s skin is constantly red, raised and angry-looking, leading to persistent discomfort, relentless itching, and regular bleeding as he scratches himself against furniture and carpet in an attempt to find relief.
The emotional burden on the family has been immense. Speaking about her struggles, Alana described the heartbreaking impact not just on Koen physically, but emotionally on the family as a whole. “It’s heartbreaking and I cannot tell you how many times I’ve cried over it. It feels like nothing I do helps, and people’s judgement only makes it harder. Some look at us as if to question what I’ve done to my own child,” she said.
Koen’s condition has seriously affected his social development. Alana shared that the family often avoids outings and busy areas to shelter Koen from staring and insensitive remarks. On school runs, some children point or make hurtful comments about Koen’s face, causing further distress. “There’s a lot of judgement out there. While I understand people’s curiosity, a bit of kindness and understanding would go a long way,” Alana commented.
Despite repeated weekly visits to their GP throughout early 2025, the only treatments offered for Koen were topical steroid creams. The eczema continued to deteriorate and, in February, Koen was hospitalised after his face and eyes became severely swollen. IV antibiotics were administered, and extensive blood tests were conducted. Although allergies were ruled out, the precise cause of Koen’s aggressive eczema remains unknown.
Paediatric dermatologists later prescribed Koen new treatments and antibiotics, leading to a brief improvement. However, his skin soon worsened again, plunging the family back into uncertainty and fear. At home, Alana now uses special scratch sleeves and clothing, but Koen often manages to remove these during the night, continuing to wound himself. Alana described finding him in the morning “covered in blood from head to toe.” The relentless scratching also robs him of sleep, adding exhaustion to his daily challenges.
For Alana, watching her son endure such distress is particularly excruciating. “It’s so hard day-to-day. I don’t know how he manages to cope as well as he does. Even when the sun’s out, I can’t put him in shorts and a t-shirt, because he’ll scratch until he bleeds. He deserves so much better,” she said.
With NHS waiting lists for dermatology appointments remaining long despite recent reforms, Alana has resorted to seeking private treatment. She created a GoFundMe campaign, which has garnered widespread support and made it possible to secure a private paediatric dermatologist for Koen. “It’s a shame you have to pay privately to be taken seriously, but I can’t watch him suffer anymore,” she explained. Donations have provided hope for advanced treatments that could finally offer Koen some respite.
As the family navigates the ongoing struggle, Alana is determined to raise awareness about the severity of childhood eczema, which is often underestimated by the public. She urges other parents to “trust their gut” and advocate for their children, pushing for thorough investigations and broader research. “There simply isn’t enough awareness out there about how debilitating eczema can be,” she said, expressing hope that by sharing Koen’s story, others will realise they are not alone.
An NHS spokesperson stated that reforms are underway to reduce dermatology waiting times, acknowledging the need for improved capacity for patients with severe inflammatory skin conditions. For now, families like Koen’s continue to battle for the support their children desperately need.
Alana’s goal remains clear: to give her son the best possible quality of life and to ensure that awareness and understanding around severe eczema grow, so that no child endures isolation because of their appearance.
*[To support Koen’s ongoing care, visit the family’s GoFundMe page here.](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-koen-heal)*