Evan Prescott Canadian boy with epidermolysis bullosa. Date of Birth: 01.01.2000 Country: Canada

1. Evan Prescott: A Boy with EB Who Found Relief in Laughing Gas
2. Living with EB: The Agony and Isolation
3. Laughing Gas: A Revolutionary Relief
4. Transforming Wound Care into a Game
5. A Sociable Boy with Big Dreams
6. Hope for Others with EB
7. Epidermolysis Bullosa: A Rare and Devastating Condition

Evan Prescott: A Boy with EB Who Found Relief in Laughing Gas

Evan Prescott, an 8-year-old boy from Quebec, Canada, suffers from a rare genetic skin disorder known as epidermolysis bullosa (EB). This condition causes his skin to blister and tear upon the slightest touch, leading to painful ulcers that are prone to infection.

Living with EB: The Agony and Isolation

For the first six months of his life, Evan was covered in bandages and relied on morphine to manage the excruciating pain. However, his parents, Yandy and Marc, decided to wean him off the addictive narcotic due to concerns about its effects on his development.

Despite trying various treatments to alleviate Evan's suffering, nothing seemed to work effectively. Two years ago, the medical team at Montreal Children's Hospital introduced Evan to nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, as a method of pain management during wound care.

Laughing Gas: A Revolutionary Relief

The experiment proved successful, and today Evan regularly inhales laughing gas for an hour each morning as his parents tend to his blisters and wounds. Evan became the first child in North America, and one of the first worldwide, to use nitrous oxide for pain relief at home.

While the gas initially made him dizzy, he now finds it incredibly relaxing. "When I first tried it, I was scared and thought it was going to hurt me," Evan recalls. "I didn't think it would work on my blisters, but it has helped me so much over the years."

Transforming Wound Care into a Game

Evan's mother, Yandy, explains that laughing gas has made wound care more manageable, transforming the once-agonizing process into a game. "Before nitrous oxide, it was so difficult because the procedures were so painful and caused Evan to scream," she says.

"We were worried about the long-term effects of his daily suffering," she adds. "Now, he can use the gas whenever the pain becomes unbearable."

A Sociable Boy with Big Dreams

Despite his painful condition, Yandy says that Evan remains socially active. He loves to dance and aspires to become a zoologist one day. "We are fortunate that he is such an outgoing guy," she explains. "We worried about how he would fit in, but his personality has made it easier."

"Evan has never had problems making friends," she continues. "The girls in his class are especially kind and caring, and they treat him like a little brother. He loves being around people and wants to have younger siblings in the future."

Hope for Others with EB

Evan believes that the treatment he has found can help other children who suffer from the severe effects of EB. "There is nothing worse than having blisters that make me feel like I do," he says. "I think laughing gas could help others make them feel strong and be able to stand up for themselves."

Epidermolysis Bullosa: A Rare and Devastating Condition

Epidermolysis bullosa is a general term for a group of rare inherited skin disorders characterized by skin fragility. People with EB lack collagen type VII, a protein that normally anchors the top layer of skin to the lower layers.

Any trauma or mechanical stress, such as friction and pressure, can cause the formation of painful blisters. Symptoms of EB are typically evident at birth.

The disorder is caused by defective genes inherited from one or both parents. In many cases, both parents carry the defective gene and are unaware that they do. Epidermolysis bullosa occurs in approximately one out of every 50,000 children in the United States.

There is currently no cure for EB, and treatment focuses on preventing infections of the affected skin areas.