Alfie Dingley 'amazingly well' after cannabis treatment Published duration 27 October 2018

image copyright PA image caption Alfie's mother, Hannah Deacon, said she believes he will need to use cannabis oil for the rest of his life

A seven-year-old boy who was at the heart of a public outcry over medicinal cannabis legalisation is doing "amazingly well", his mother has said.

Alfie Dingley, from Kenilworth, was granted a special licence in June to use medicinal cannabis oil.

He has a rare form of epilepsy that causes up to 150 seizures a month but his mother, Hannah Deacon, said he has not had any seizures since July.

image copyright PA image caption Alfie Dingley has not had a seizure since he has been using cannabis oil, his mother said

"He's amazingly well," Ms Deacon told the BBC, continuing that "he has not had any seizures" since his cannabis oil was reintroduced.

"He's going to school every day, he's riding a horse, he's riding a bike. He has a pretty much normal life," she said.

Alfie's family petitioned the government in March after they found his condition improved when he was given a cannabis-based medication in the Netherlands, where it is legal, in September 2017.

"In eight months we've moved hugely," Ms Deacon said.

image copyright HANNAH DEACON image caption Alfie has a rare form of epilepsy which causes up to 150 seizures a month

Ms Deacon said her son was "coming on amazingly" since he was granted a licence for its use.

She said she "cried" through most of Alfie's parents' evening on Wednesday, "because his teachers said he's just doing so well, we can't keep up with him".

"It's extremely overwhelming," she said.

"When I walk him to school I know how lucky I am."