Teen with autism and alopecia receives devastating scoliosis diagnosis
A devastated mum is appealing for help as her autistic teenage son battles depression, alopecia and severe scoliosis saying he “hasn’t left the house since July”.
Luke Roberts, 18 of Stoke-on-Trent in central England, won’t leave his bedroom. His mum, Carol, who is also his full-time carer, said she doesn’t know what to do.
The 18-year-old, a Manchester United fan and football fanatic, was like most teenage boys up until two years ago when he received a devastating diagnosis.
Luke, who already has alopecia and severe eczema, was told problems with his spine would mean playing football was no longer an option. It’s also destroyed his confidence and Ms Roberts said her boy has become “very depressed”.
“Within those two years Luke’s spine has now got a 50 degree thoracic curve and a 30 degree lumbar,” Ms Roberts wrote on a GoFundMe page.
“Luke has become less active and has even been diagnosed with depression as he refuses to leave the house due to how he looks.
“Luke absolutely loves football but he never leaves the house now because of how he looks, he sees old pictures of himself and says that he just wants to be normal again.”
The 18-year-old also lives with autism and suffers with dyspraxia, which affects speech along with movement and coordination.
Ms Roberts told the Metro, watching her boy sit at home “stressed and scared” breaks her heart. He’s also asked her to contact Christiano Ronaldo for help.
"He used to love going out with his friends and playing football,” she said.
“They would club together to hire out pitches for a couple of hours each week, but now he can't play.”
Ms Roberts explained Luke also stopped his apprenticeship, and he’s on anti-depressants.
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He’s lost interest in video games which were the “only way he’d communicate with his friends”.
The mum said she’s booked Luke in for spinal surgery in Germany in April to prevent him one day needing the use of a wheelchair. She’s started a GoFundMe page to raise more than A$57,000 for Luke’s surgery.
Ms Roberts said she’s put in her entire savings of $3,500 to help Luke but fears if the family hasn’t raised enough money by April she’ll have to cancel the surgery.
She said she will do “everything and anything” to find the money.
“I told Luke that I wouldn't let him down, so there's no other option,” Ms Roberts said.
"I will get help for my son."
