A MUM whose son has severe autism is determined to get him the best therapy possible.

Doctors discovered George Valtcheva, who is four, had delays in his development after his 12 month health check.

He did not start walking until he was 20 months old, and still only eats thin purees.

Experts have now prescribed George Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, which gives his brain the oxygen it needs to function better.

So far he has had 40 sessions and from next month he will need 20 sessions every other month.

Each costs £25.

Now mum, Antoaneta, who lives in North Hill, Colchester, is appealing to the public to help fund George’s treatment.

So far, the family has raised £1,000.

Mrs Valtcheva said: “I thought he was just a quiet baby, he wasn’t very demanding.

“At his 12-month health check they said he should be eating solid food, but he wasn’t. He had very specific needs.

“We didn’t know if it was a problem, we wanted to give him time.”

When he was two years old George started going to London for sound therapy to help his development.

He was officially diagnosed with severe autism when he was three.

The mum spent years researching therapies but said everything costed too much money.

George can now use eye contact but still requires a lot of treatment.

The family has even started seeing a doctor in Italy every two months to get the best care possible.

Mrs Valtcheva, who is originally from Bulgaria, added: “We stared a new therapy with doctor Dr Antonucci,who is very respected professional in psychiatry and autism treatment and we continue Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy privately.

“It costs £25 per session.”

She said autism is a life-long condition and his therapies are starting to become financially impossible.

However she is determined to keep providing therapy for her son.

George needs to continue his Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as his brain needs oxygen to function well.

HBOT involves breathing pure oxygen at higher than atmospheric pressures in an enclosed chamber.

This increased flow of oxygen stimulates and restores function to damaged cells and organs, including those in the brain.

So far he has had 40 sessions and from May he will need 20 sessions every other month.

His mum said: “We have been seeing progress, he is more calm and sleeps better. A couple of weeks ago he started using building blocks for the first time.

“We are just trying to do our research as there are so many protocols to follow. We also need to start multisensory therapy as he does not like wearing clothes.”

George attends Stepping Stones nursery in Colchester, which his mum says is very useful, but she wants George to be prepared for when he starts school.

The family has considered sending George to Russia for private stem cell treatment at a clinic there.

His mum said they would wait and see what progress he makes with his current therapy before making a decision as to whether to find a clinical trial for him.

They have set up a Gofundme page and so far they have raised more than £1,000.

To donate visit www.gofundme.com/georges-autism-therapies.