THE parents of a toddler who suffered two life-threatening viruses which left him with multiple disabilities are pleading with council chiefs to save a vital service.

Little Ethan Robertson was a perfectly healthy 18-month-old boy when he fell seriously ill and ended up in a coma.

Twelve days later he seemed to be making a recovery when his body was then attacked by an autoimmune disease and his organs began to shut down.

Ethan, now three, spent six months in hospital and pulled through.

But on the day before he left, doctors broke the devastating news to his mum Laura Jarvis and dad James Robertson that he would likely never be able to walk again, talk or eat on his own.

He has also been left with learning difficulties, epilepsy and has to be fed through a gastrostomy tube.

His parents have relied on the local Care and Repair Service team to help them kit out their home with adaptations, get the necessary equipment they need for Ethan and offer emotional support.

But now the council has withdrawn funding from the adaptations team and Ethan’s parents fear for other families.

Dad James, 43, said: “Your world just caves in when something like this happens.

“I had neither the mental or physical capacity to do all the practical things on my own — we were too busy trying to care for Ethan. 

“Care and Repair helped with all the adaptations.

“They took all the worry away and took us through everything step by step.

“We would not be where we are now if it wasn’t for them.

“They are always on the other end of a phone, dealing with things so you don’t have to.

“What about other families, maybe single parents or people without financial means?

“What would they do without Care and Repair?

“What service will be there for them now, no one knows.

“They can find £80,000 for a statue but not to keep a service which actually helps people.”

The family, who stay in Greenock’s Crunes Way, saw life turned upside down in October 2016.

Laura, 34, who works at Cigna, said: “Ethan was unwell for a few days, like he had a cold.

“By the Friday he wasn’t getting better, had a temperature and wasn’t eating so I took him to the doctor.

“They told me it was viral, to take Calpol and keep an eye on him.”

By the next day Ethan was getting worse.

Laura phoned NHS 24 and took her son to the out-of-hours service at Inverclyde Royal.

She added: “He was unsteady on his feet and floppy.

“He was examined by three doctors and they sent us to the RAH in Paisley because there is no paediatrics service at the IRH anymore.

“But because he was already in the hospital he was not a priority for an ambulance and I ended up driving him up there.”

From the RAH, Ethan was quickly transferred to the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children where he was diagnosed with HSV/herpes virus.

Call centre director James was in Canada at the time when he was told that his son was seriously ill and he faced a race against time to get home.

At the Royal Hospital for Sick Children the couple kept a vigil by Ethan’s bedside as he faced a fight for his life.

When he came out of the induced coma his parents initially hoped he would fully recover.

James said: “He was responding to us.

“We could see him getting better and then all of a sudden he was deteriorating rapidly.”

Ethan’s body was ravaged by the autoimmune encephalitis disease and he spent months in hospital.

But James added: “The day before we left hospital they hit us with it all.

“They told us that he would not be able to walk, talk or eat on his own, that he would be left with learning disabilities and epilepsy.”

Ethan needs round the clock care and community nurses and speech therapists visit him at home.

He also has a place at Hillend Children’s Centre in Greenock and has been helped by new cutting-edge oxygen therapy treatment.

James added: “It is only now that we are beginning to feel like a family again.

“In the first months you feel like carers, not parents.

“We have a long way to go and we don’t know what the future holds but we have come a long way and there have been improvements.”

The Care and Repair service is currently helping the family build an extension at their new home to give them space for all of Ethan’s specialist equipment.

James added: “They are taking care of it for us now, putting everything in place and helping with grants.

“They are just incredible.

“We want to speak out about Care and Repair to help other people.”

Funding for Care and Repair, run alongside the Small Repairs Service by Cloch Housing and funded by the council, was axed as part of £3m of budget cuts made last month.

A council spokesman said today: “Assessment and advice will continue to be provided by the Centre for Independent Living.

“A new adaptations grants service will be established by the council to provide exactly the same level of financial assistance for home alterations to support the needs of disabled people.”