Viewers of This Morning have been divided over a mother whose son went blind from only eating crisps and chocolate.
Harvey Dyer, 18, appeared on the show alongside his mum Kerry James and revealed he lost all sight in his left eye, and most in his right eye, after a eating a diet of chocolate and crisps since he was just two.
Speaking about his disorder, Harvey said: “I don’t know if it’s a mental block in my head. I really would love to eat food but I just can’t get it into my mouth physically.”
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Kerry revealed they were seeking help from a pediatrician for Harvey’s eating since he was six.
Kerry explained to hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: “She gave us so many different things to try. We had somebody come at tea time to watch how we dealt with meal times.
“He just could not psychically try anything else. Even medication was a nightmare.
“I used to ask them, ‘is there anything I can give him by injection?’ and I said I was happy to administrate it myself at home and we were told no.
“They weren’t worried because he was putting on weight and growing taller.”
Harvey said he didn’t realise he was going blind despite his sight deteriorating.
Harvey said the sight in his left eye has completely gone, however, he can see his “hands moving” and “lines and colours” through his right eye.
He also revealed he’s now drinking a protein shake every day and will soon “drink them like any normal drink”.
Kerry said she thinks Harvey would have regained his sight if he was offered Vitamin A injections sooner.
She said: “Back in December, when we were told it was down to nutrition, we think if they’d done the blood test then and realised the Vitamin A was so low they may have given him the Vitamin A injections then, and he could see a lot more out of that right eye and we could have saved it a lot better.
“But now we’ve just got to wait and see.”
Kerry insisted: “I’ve done everything. I know people say it’s probably because I’m a bad mum and I’ve neglected him [but] I don’t listen to any of that because I have fought for Harvey from the age of two.
“And I will continue fighting for him until he has that healthy balance of life. At the end of the day, he is our priority and I couldn’t have done any more than what I did.”
Viewers watching from home were divided over the interview, with many blaming Kerry for her son’s condition.
One person wrote on Twitter: “That expert is telling the mum exactly as it is, she should have tried harder. She should have looked at alternative options. I blame her.”
Another tweeted: “She shouldn’t have fed him crisps then. Fruit and veg or starve… would soon eat them then. Absolute spoiled brat.”
A third added: “Can’t believe what I am watching! ‘Crisps and chocolate made me go blind!’ The mother could have given him smoothies or chocolate milkshake with vitamins.”
That expert is telling the mum exactly as it is, she should have tried harder. She should have looked at alternative options. I blame her. #ThisMorning
— Dave (@DavidMackayy) September 17, 2019
She shouldn’t have fed him crisps then. Fruit and veg or starve 🙄 would soon eat them then. Absolute spoilt brat #soz #thismorning
— LAURA LOUISE BELL⭐ (@lauralouisebell) September 17, 2019
Can’t believe what I am watching! “Crisps and chocolate made me go blind! The Mother could have given him smoothies or chocolate milkshake with vitamins. #thismorning
— Samantha 52% (@sreynolds196777) September 17, 2019
Others defended Kerry.
One said: “All the horrible comments about the kid who lost his eyesight due to food avoidance disorder just goes to show how closed-minded people are about eating disorders.
“If mum had force fed him you would all be screaming abuse. It’s a psychological disorder, it’s the fault of the NHS that this lad was let down, not his parents!!!”
If mum had force fed him you would all be screaming abuse. It’s a psychological disorder, its the fault of the nhs that this lad was let down not his parents!!! #thismorning
— Dorokeki (@dorokeki) September 17, 2019
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Another wrote: “This is actually a pretty sad story, rather than the jokey one it looks like when you see the headlines.
“He has an eating disorder and the health care they got when asking for help was insufficient.”
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