Miracle boy Cameron now back at school after toxic chemical incident

Just under a month ago, nine-year-old Cameron Dickson’s life lay in the balance after a toxic chemicals incident near a bonfire site in west Belfast. Now, slowly but surely he is returning to normality. Chief Reporter JORDAN MOATES has this exclusive story.

It has been an incredible three and a half weeks for Cameron Dickson.

At the end of May, he came into contact with hazardous material in a barrel on Glenwood Street near the Shankill.

The incident left him unconscious in the intensive care unit at the Royal Hospital in Belfast for Sick Children (see picture).

At one point, Cameron’s dad Harry said they thought it had been a chest infection and he is relieved they took action when they did.

“If we had left it to the 5.30 appointment it may have been far too late – and knowing that scares me more than some of the other stuff these last few weeks,” he said.

“We would not be sitting here talking now. I honestly believe my son would have been buried.”

At one point Cameron’s family was told he had a 50-50 chance of survival.

“You would throw yourselves in front of train or bus to protect your son – not to be able to do a single solitary thing for him while he was lying there plugged into these machines – the worst feeling any parent could have,” he said.

Cameron, while back at school, still faces some obstacles on his road to complete recovery.

Harry said: “He is still complaining about headaches – things he never complaint about before not be able to lie on his back – shortness of breath but hopefully there will not be any long-term effects.”

This was the result of the schoolboy playing at a bonfire site where a toxic substance had been dumped by fly tippers

His dad Harry has a simple message for those who left the chemicals

“I would appeal to the person who dumped them to obviously you know who you are – come forward there would be no hard feelings as long as I know no other child will come in contact with this thing,” he said