Brain-damaged niece of Aston Villa star ‘saved’ by cannabis oil please log in to view this image Jen Mills for Metro.co.ukMonday 2 Oct 2017 10:01 am Share this article with Facebook Share this article with Twitter Share this article with Google Plus Share this article through email 1.1k please log in to view this image Louise with daughter Jayla, who once suffered debilitating seizures (Picture: BPM Media) Jayla Agbonlahor, 6, is the UK’s youngest approved user of Class B drugs. She takes cannabis oil to manage her seizures after developing a mystery illness just days after her first birthday. Her life became extremely difficult, as she was unable to walk, talk, eat or drink. But her parents say she has now recovered to a ‘miraculous’ extent, and now smiles while watching cartoons while she hasn’t had a seizure in months. They credit her recovery to cannabis oil, which they had to obtain on the black market at first because it is rarely prescribed in the UK. Louise Bostock, 33, even faced having her daughter taken from her after she admitted to nurses she had been buying it illegally. please log in to view this image Jayla is doing much better (Picture: BPM) Mum: 'Cannabis saved my daughter's life' Play Video Loaded: 0% 0:00 Progress: 0% PlayMute Current Time0:00 / Duration Time0:00 Fullscreen But she and Jayla’s dad Charisma Agbonlahor – brother of Aston Villa star Gabby – have now been given clearance to give their daughter the drug, although they have to import it themselves from Holland. Louise, from Erdington, says she has no regrets about breaking the law as she will do whatever it takes to ease the suffering of her child – who doctors believed would live no longer than four years. please log in to view this image 'Cunning' convicted *****phile jailed for raping two primary school aged children She wants cannabis oil to be made available for those children who, like her own daughter, struggle through prolonged pain. At present, a cannabis-based medicine is available to those suffering multiple sclerosis, but not on prescription. Louise told the Sunday Mercury: ‘Jayla has been allowed to use it, so why haven’t others been allowed to use it? This has to happen. ‘She is my child, she is unique and I will do whatever I can to save her life.’ please log in to view this image She can smile again (Picture: BPM) Louise explained: ‘When Jayla was born there was nothing wrong with her. ‘But then, just days after her first birthday, she stopped breathing and kept going blue. She was rushed to hospital where she remained for five months. ‘At first they thought it was epilepsy. But eventually they couldn’t diagnose her and I was told that she wasn’t expected to survive. ‘Meanwhile, I was pregnant with our son Junior and when Jayla was on her death bed, I went into labour.’ Nothing seemed to help Jayla and Louise was getting desperate. ‘Medication didn’t work and so I want to take her to be blessed in the Holy water of Lourdes and to bathe her in the healing lakes.’ Doctors at Birmingham Children’s Hospital revealed Jayla, then four, was resistant to conventional medication. Cannabis as medicine Cannabidoils – derivatives of the plant – were only classified and included in the UK’s list of medicines this year, following a study by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Last year, the MHRA issued guidelines stating the products containing cannabidiol, such as the oil, can be used for medical purposes, provided they are legally sold and meet safety standards. But weed containing the psychoactive ingredient THC, has not been approved and has been linked to the development of psychosis. Campaign group End Our Pain estimates close to one million people in this country have used cannabis as medicine to help chronic pain. In many US states medicinal marijuana is commonly prescribed. In desperation, Louise found some articles proclaiming the alleged medicinal benefits of cannabis oil. Louise was given clearance to use the drug in 2015 after being called to a ‘safeguarding meeting’, yet obtaining the oil – administered through Jayla’s stomach or rubbed on her gums – remains something of a covert operation. She still cannot obtain it through prescription and purchases cannabis packages from Holland. An £80 order will last one month. ‘Jayla used to be hospitalised every three or four weeks with seizures. Now she can go months without one,’ adds Louise. ‘She is smiling and happy and has so much more life. She used to be comatose and slept all day. ‘But she has started to eat properly and now watches TV with a smile on her face. I heard her laugh out loud for the first time – can you imagine? ‘I believe it has saved her life, so it is a good thing. That is why it needs to happen with other children.’ Everyone knows my views, but thought I'd share.
Imagine a plant that is known to kill its primary users being legal and one that has been widely used within used within medical practices for thousands of years with good results being illegal. That's our country.
It`s a start though Bri and it usually needs somebody high profile to bring attention to it. Let`s hope this is a kick start
Only ever done cannabis in Holland (was fun) but this news is great (and I've always been one for trying to get this legalised as one of my best friends has suffered most of his life with a crippling arthritis - it helped him no end (and still does) Hope this gets things sorted - I'm sure @Tel had some input on this a while ago as well.
I've seen some brilliant stats lately, focussing primarily on CB1 agonist research. It's very positive.
The receptor agonists/antagonists are being explored to attempt to isolate them from each other in this research, once they see how they behave in isolation they can look at conditions influenced by the central and peripheral nervous systems for example. It's mainly pain management and mental issues this clinic is focussed on so they tend not to get immersed in the 'supercure' phenomena.
Dead interesting job you've got mate. Envious. Sounds fantastic. Exciting times, you're part of something potentially very special.
That's not my job mate, I'm in construction. Much less interesting I was involved with it previously although now I'm just a spectator!
There'll be lots to read in the coming years and hopefully lots to trial too mate. The one example that sticks in my mind was the little girl who suffers with cerebral palsy and autism from Texas who was prescribed vapourised cannabis. Have a look if search for it if you have a minute.
That's very encouraging mate. I've found so little on this but the way it works with seizures and convulsions with MS surely points to it being a fantastic fit for potential life changing medication in Cerebral Palsy. I genuinely believe it's going to give suffers the first days of genuine comfort they've felt for many years. Going to go have a gander now as the Autism aspect I haven't read much into either.
