A six-year-old girl from Essex who developed a rash after hot weather has been diagnosed with a life-threatening condition dubbed 'Pac-Man disease' after her condition deteriorated rapidly. Starr Downs, 23, initially thought daughter Esmae Smith's rash on her hands and feet was an allergic reaction or due to the weather.
After a pharmacist prescribed anti-itch cream for what looked like hives, Esmae's temperature spiked to 40 degrees and she struggled to walk. She was admitted to hospital on April 8 and spent eight days there before being transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital on April 16, where she was diagnosed with Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS).
Doctors explained the condition by comparing her white blood cells to the video game character Pac-Man, which 'gobbles' up cells. However, in Esmae's case, the cells are attacking her immune system instead of just infections. Starr said: 'They go around the body like Pac-Man and they eat the infections but Esmae's ones don't know when to turn off.'
Esmae is now undergoing chemotherapy and will require daily immune suppressant injections after leaving hospital. Doctors believe the MAS was triggered by Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA). Starr has set up a GoFundMe page to cover travel costs and give Esmae a 'big treat' once she recovers.
