SEA LIFE Brighton gives boy VIP treatment

Loui Herriot has Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS) a life changing condition which affects the developement of bones and facial tissue.

The severity of Loui’s condition meant he was understandably classed as vulnerable and to stay with his parents Karly and Luke in full isolation during the national Covid-19 lockdown. Although this measure kept Loui safe, it also meant he didn’t see the rest of his family, his friends or enjoy a day out for many months.

One of his favourite things are octopuses and he has previously had a chance to meet one via a charity, however, this had to be cancelled due to lockdown.

So team members at SEA LIFE Brighton were delighted to be able to make his dreams come true with an arranged out-of-hours trip.

Loui's condition means he isn't able to communicate via speech but signs to his parents.

The team arranged for Loui and his family to view the octopus, select stimulating toys for the octopus to play with in her tank and to receive a special-themed goody bag to end his visit. Loui also enjoyed hearing stories from the SEA LIFE staff about how the octopus is cared for.

Loui’s mother, Karly Herriott, said: “We call our special boy Loui Legend because he’s exactly that, our little legend! We truly appreciate the SEA LIFE team helping one of his dreams come true; he was truly buzzing after the visit and couldn’t stop signing about how much he enjoyed the visit.

TCS is a rare condition and Louis’ severe case means that sadly he’s been through many difficult operations and procedures including a tracheostomy to enable him to breathe, a gastrostomy to help him eat and the creation of two bone anchored hearing aids (BAHAs) on a band for around his head so he can hear. The tracheostomy alone requires 24 hour care, including frequent suctioning of secretions so that Loui doesn't effectively drown.

The tracheostomy is a direct route down into Loui’s lungs and bypasses his voice box meaning he cannot speak, eat or drink, enjoy every day play activities in sand or water for example, or ever be left alone. Revolutionary new throat surgery in the U.S could potentially provide Loui with an alternative to the tracheostomy and enable him many more freedoms. His family is fundraising for this life changing opportunity and details of how to donate are available here.

Neil Harris, general manager at SEA LIFE Brighton, said: “While we pride ourselves on always offering an exciting experience for little ones, we knew that Loui deserved an extra special treat after everything he’s been through and after missing out on his dream trip due to the lockdown. We’re so glad Loui and his family enjoyed their VIP visit and hope their one-on-one appointment with Loui’s favourite creature made for a memorable experience.”

SEA LIFE Brighton is open daily from 10am.

For more information on visiting SEA LIFE Brighton, please visit www.visitsealife.com/brighton

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