Mum's cannabis petition for ill son hits 100k signature target

A LOVING mum has been left 'overwhelmed' after her campaign for medicinal cannabis to be made available on the NHS to aid her five-year-old son gathered the support needed to trigger a debate in Parliament.

Karen Gray at the Sick Kids with her son Murray Gray aged five who is suffering from a rare form of epilepsy. Picture: Ian Georgeson

Mum-of-three Karen Gray, from East Craigs, admits she “can’t believe it” that her petition has reached more than 100,000 signatures in under six weeks.

Mrs Gray is meeting political activists from 38 Degrees, who helped organise the petition, tomorrow when it will be handed in to Downing Street. Her son Murray is now suffering up to 12 big seizures a day due to a rare form of epilepsy.

She said: “I’m so overwhelmed by the support and can’t thank everyone enough. To trigger a debate in Parliament is fantastic and is another step forward. It would mean everything if Murray could access CBD oil.

“I sat refreshing the page until we got to 100,000 signatures and I screen shot it and put it on the Facebook page. I poured myself a celebratory Morgan’s Spiced rum and coke, but I only had a couple of sips because I ended up going to bed. I don’t usually drink unless it’s a Friday.”

Murray was diagnosed with myoclonic astatic epilepsy at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in December after suffering 12 seizures in one month. He has recently been discharged from hospital where he was taking five different types of medicine, including steroids, which doctors believe may control his spasms.

Mrs Gray said: “The steroids he has been on made him put on two stone in around three months. We took him to hospital because he was struggling to breath.”