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Boy with genetic illness who captured hearts of stars including Bradley Wiggins Jack Johnson, 6, from Chorley, has had support from Wiggins, Ant & Dec and Jessica Ennis-Hill, who made the finger gesture in support of his parents' charity.

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Jack Johnson, 6, from Chorley, has had support from Wiggins, Ant & Dec and Jessica Ennis-Hill, who made the finger gesture in support of his parents' charity.

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LATEST HEALTH NEWS

Pioneering new treatment means medics can remove kidney stones from patients in just one procedure

The procedure, known as bilateral simultaneous ureteroscopy, aims to clear both kidneys at the same time, instead of during two separate operations. It involves visualising and positioning stones with a ureteroscope (left), before using a laser beam to break them up - leaving patients stone-free (right). Traditionally, sufferers are forced to undergo treatment on each kidney individually during separate hospital admissions. A recent study at Southampton General Hospital saw the technique performed on 22 patients suffering from kidney stones - with a staggering 92 per cent success rate. ...read

Health Notes: Marilyn hits the right note - but Kim sounds like a health issue

A stury found that women prefer the voice of Marilyn Monroe. Kim Kardashian's creakier tones are associated with health issues such as smoking or a cold.

Bad botox: The 'wrinkle fillers' that can cause brain damage and lead to vision loss

Trout pout: Actress Leslie Ash had a botched lip filler injection by a Venezuelan doctor who used liquid silicone

In 2000, actress Leslie Ash famously suffered the ‘trout pout’ effect after having her lips injected with liquid silicone by a Venezuelan doctor.

Print your own bones! How British scientists can now help you recreate everything from dentures to jaws and hips

Stephen Power's eight-hour operation at Morriston Hospita

The treatment of Stephen Power, who had his face rebuilt using titanium plates produced by a 3D printer, is far from a one-off medical miracle.

Father-of-one loses three limbs and half his face to flesh eating bacteria which started as a common cold just FOUR months ago

Alex Lewis, 34, initially thought he had a common cold but was rushed to hospital where he was diagnosed with a blood infection which developed into septicaemia and toxic shock syndrome. Doctors said he only had a three per cent chance of survival

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. Alex Lewis, 34, had to have both of his legs and his left amputated after doctors told him it was his only chance of survival.

Ashton, aged three, is first child in Britain fitted with battery-powered pump to help his failing heart

Ashton Hutcheson, three (left), was fitted with the HeartWare device (inset) to keep him alive until an organ becomes available for transplant. According to his mother Shanna, 22, from Aberdeen (right), the operation was his last hope. Ashton is the second child in the world to use the device which is plugged in at home or in hospital and is powered by a battery pack when he is out.

Eye ointment that can spare your blushes: Ingredient in glaucoma drops now used in gel for rosacea

Skin aid: The new gel, Mirvaso, will help patients with the skin condition rosacea, which causes blushing and also permanent redness

Gel Mirvaso will be available on prescription only for patients with the skin condition rosacea, which causes blushing and also permanent redness.

Beware of the hidden peril in the park: The blinding eye infection contracted from dirt

Millie Knight of Great Britain, 15, pictured with guide Rachael Ferrier at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, was blinded in one eye by toxocara

Paralympian skier Millie Knight, 15, was blinded in one eye by an infection known as toxocara, which is contracted from contaminated soil.

Putting alcohol and fizzy drinks at the end of supermarket aisles DOES make us buy more - so could moving them reduce obesity?

Sales of fizzy drinks increase by 52 per cent when they are put at the end of a supermarket aisle

Research, published in the journal Social Sciences and Medicine, revealed sales of fizzy drinks soar 52 per cent when they are placed at the end of supermarket aisles.

Bad news, dieters: Drinking water DOESN'T help you lose weight, nutrition expert claims

It is a myth that drinking water aids weight loss, according to a nutrition expert

Dr Beth Kitchin, at the University of Alabama, says it is a myth that drinking water promotes weight loss.

Mother-of-two dies from swine flu five years after a major pandemic swept the world

Jane Garden pictured here with her daughter Madison. Mrs Garner was in good health until she contracted swine flu and died within six weeks

In 2009, a swine flu pandemic swept across the world. Five years on, a mother from Leicestershire, Jane Garner, was killed by the virus within six weeks. Mrs Garner originally thought that she was suffering from a chest infection. ...read

The 10-year-old who weighs 20 STONE: Shocking figure reveals the true scale of childhood obesity in Britain

Shocking: The 10-year-old child, who has not been named, is one of the fattest children in the country

The unnamed Year 6 pupil, from Coventry, tipped the scales at 19st 7lbs, making them one of the heaviest children in the country.

The app that lets parents see life form before their eyes: Fertility clinic creates programme that shows embryos in the lab in real-time

A fertility clinic has created an app which allows hopeful parents to see their embryos developing in the lab

The Institut Marquès fertility clinic in Barcelona says the app allows parents to feel closer to their embryos and to feel part of the process.

Selfies fuelling plastic surgery rates, say US doctors: Incessant self-portraits leave us insecure, vain - and longing for a nose job!

The selfie taken at the Oscars earlier this month by actor Bradley Cooper featuring celebrities including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey became the most forwarded message of all time on Twitter

The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery says a third of its members report an increase in procedures due to social media photos.

Woman gives her lesbian partner HIV in extremely rare case of female-to-female transmission

Rare: A CDC report out Friday details the case of a Texas woman who became HIV positive in an extremely rare incidence of female-to-female transmission (here, the virus is shown in yellow attacking a cell in blue)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that a Texan woman has become infected with the virus that causes AIDS from her lesbian lover.

How a healthy husband equals a happy marriage: Couples argue more if a man is ill - but a woman's wellbeing has no effect at all

A study's shown that a husband's 'agreeable personality' and good health plays a key role in preventing conflict (illustrated) in a marriage

The University of Chicago study found that if a wife is ill there is little difference in the quality of a marriage for the husband.

Marriage makes you FAT: Brides gain up to 10lbs within the first six months of marriage

Women put on nearly five pounds in weight in the first six months of marriage, according to a new study

Health experts at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, found women who dieted before their wedding put on 'significantly' more weight.

Good news, girls! Botox works... just as long as you make sure your skin doctor is as cautious as Cindy Crawford's

Legions of British women have quietly taken up the habit – quietly, because it’s still something that many do not want to shout about. In the right hands, Botox leaves you looking like a more relaxed, more youthful version of yourself. But it should be a ‘has she or hasn’t she’ piece of work – no one should be able to tell.

Why do babies laugh? That's what a scientist set out to learn - with tantalising results

So far, 1,400 parents from 25 countries have answered questions ranging from whether their baby was more likely to laugh at a particular time of day to which toys and nursery rhymes they found funniest.

Now life-saving medicines will be fast-tracked so critically ill patients can get them years earlier

The fast-track plan would help patients with cancers or dementia where there is no effective treatment left from existing medicines.

Another study from the University of the Obvious: People who live or work near takeaways are twice as likely to be obese

Warning: People who live or work near takeaways eat more junk food and are almost twice as likely to be obese

Consumers who are the most tempted by takeaways and fast food eat an extra 40g of high calorie food - the same as half a small serving of McDonald’s fries, says a BMJ study.

Thousands of healthy people are wrongly told they have cancer in vile email hoax

The message appears to be from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), and carries the subject line: 'Important blood analysis result.'

I'd gladly take a smoker's lungs and risk cancer - to end the hell of life on the waiting list

Cystic Fibrosis sufferer Poppy Roberts, 23, from Monmouth would rather risk with smoker's lungs after waiting for two years for a transplant. Miss Roberts spends two weeks a month in hospital receiving intravenous antibiotics to halt the infections attacking her body. She also needs more than 60 different medications a day, and sleeps with an oxygen mask.

The children's heart surgery unit that stopped caring: Leeds General Infirmary had a 'tragic lack of communication, compassion and basic kindness', says official report

The children's heart surgery unit at Leeds General Infirmary has been critcised over a 'tragic lack of communication, compassion and basic kindness'

A comprehensive report into care at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) has led to apologies from both NHS England and the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

'I thought only people in Africa got HIV,' says mother-of-three who contracted the condition after summer romance

Unwell: Ms Dilley said that a few months after finishing a relationship, she felt like she had 'a severe bout of the flu' - and she was urged to take an HIV test

Rachel Dilley, 48, from Hertfordshire, told ITV's This Morning that she hadn't realised at the time that 'white people had ever had HIV'.

Statins do NOT have major side effects, claims study: Research finds users less likely to suffer maladies than control group

For years, statins have been linked to numerous side effects including nausea, insomnia, fatigue, kidney issues, muscle problems and even erectile dysfunction.

Addicted to IVF: Jessica's craving for a baby cost her £50,000, drove her to the brink of insanity - and very nearly killed her

Jessica, 43, is desperate to have a baby after six failed conceptions. Jessica thought IVF would be 'a miracle bullet' but it has only brought heartbreak and debt.

Mother branded a 'tramp' for breastfeeding in public hits back saying: 'I was showing much less flesh than many other women do'

Emily Slough, 27, was horrified when a stranger took a picture of her breastfeeding daughter Matilda and uploaded it to Facebook, calling her a 'tramp'. Appearing on ITV's Daybreak this morning, she hit back at critics, saying: 'I was showing a lot less flesh than a lot of people do - I wasn't sitting there with my breast out.' Breastfeeding mums aren't doing it to antagonise people or gain attention - they are doing it to meet their babies' needs.'

Too long in a buggy 'harms child's brain': Over-reliance on pushchairs can hamper speech and physical skills

Bad move: Forward-facing strollers can hamper the development of attention and balance skills

The growing use of tablets and smartphones can cause similar problems, with babies denied opportunities for ‘rough play’, singing and talking.

A kiss to 'cure' anorexia: 'Love hormone' can help reduce sufferers' obsession with food and weight

British and Korean scientists gave 31 patients a nasal spray containing oxytocin, the hormone released during kissing, sex, childbirth and breastfeeding.

Do YOU have the 'fat gene'? Discovery of protein that controls metabolism could lead to anti-obesity drug

Scientists have discovered a 'fat gene' which they say could be responsible for obesity

Researchers at the University of Toronto say mice without the protein IRX3 are, one average, 30 per cent slimmer than other mice.

Having a FAT friend can be such a big bore. That's what Angela says. So what does her chubby chum Bernette think?

Sensible people really DO live longer: Personality is 'as important' as family history when it comes to health

Conscientious people have fewer health problems as they are more likely to have healthy lifestyles

Researchers at Duke University, in North Carolina, found conscientious people have less health problems because they tend to have healthier lifestyles.

Accountant fights for life after trainee doctor tried to 'unblock his gullet like a drain' and 'tore a 4cm hole in it'

Abid Mahmood, 37, went to Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, seeking 'peace of mind' after getting a piece of lamb stuck in his gullet. His family claim he warned doctors that he had a very narrow gullet but that a trainee doctor put a metal tube down his gullet anyway and ripped a hole in it. They say he was then told to drink a contrast die before having a scan and that this leaked through the hole and into his chest, causing pneumonia.

How clean is YOUR bedding? The average Briton keeps their pillow at least a YEAR longer than they should - and it's causing 'neck damage and dust mite infestations'

Some 82 per cent of Britons don't know that pillows should be replaced every two years and duvets, every five

According to the Sleep Council, pillows should be replaced every two years and duvets should be thrown away after five years.

Woman gives birth to healthy baby that grew in her ABDOMEN - not her womb

A 22-year-old has given birth to a healthy baby that grew outside her womb, in her abdomen (file picture)

The woman, in Tanzania, only discovered that her baby was growing in her abdominal cavity when she was 32 weeks pregnant, according to a report in the journal BioMed Central.

Need a guilt-free alternative to orange juice? New fruit juice derived from a FLOWER could be the answer

The drink contains a naturally occurring compound called Pinitol - derived from the Asian flower bougainvillea. Pinitol has been shown to help prevent blood sugar spikes

The Simply Great Drinks Company has created a drink containing a natural compound called Pinitol which it says counteracts the harmful effects of sugar.

The $189 weightloss wristband that can automatically monitor EVERYTHING you eat and drink

The band uses sensors on the band to work out exactly what a person has eaten and drunk, along with their exercise.

35st man who drank 4 litres of Irn Bru a DAY sheds 15st and qualifies as a fitness instructor to help other people 'embarrassed by their bodies'

Marc Rodwell, 26, saw his weight soar through his teenage years as he gorged on junk food, takeaways and guzzled down more than four litres of Irn Bru a day. His weight steadily ballooned until July 2010 when his father, fearing for his son's health, bought him a set of digital scales. But when Mr Rodwell stepped on, the screen simply read 'error' because he was too heavy. He has since lost 15 stone and qualified as a fitness instructor. he said: 'I am living proof that exercise and eating a healthy diet works. I'm not a leaflet or a poster, I'm a person working alongside them saying, 'I used to be nearly 40 stone.'

The hopeless romantic who's terrified of love: Woman, 39, suffers such crippling OCD she won't hold hands, kiss or cuddle

Heather Bayliss, 39, has severe obsessive compulsive disorder as well as Asperger syndrome

Heather Bayliss, from Dorset, is terrified of germs so will only leave home to go shopping or see her mother. She's had no visitors to her flat for three years.

'My breasts were sagging like an old woman's!' Woman, 30, whose bungled boob job left her with two different cup sizes and a raging infection

Nicole Burnett, 30, from Glasgow, was horrified when her cut-price boob job left her with an infection raging out of control. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

'My pregnant stomach was ovarian cancer': Mother has 13lb tumour removed after suffering bloating for a year

Wendie Webb was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after abnormalities were noticed during colonic irrigation

Wendie Webb, 47, from Bedfordshire, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after having colonic irrigation to reduce the bloating so she could fit into her wedding dress.

Mother's fury as she is branded a TRAMP and this picture of her is posted on Facebook by a stranger - for breastfeeding her baby in public

Emily Slough, from Rugeley, Staffordshire, was out shopping when she stopped to feed her eight-month-old daughter Matilda on the steps of a restaurant and have some lunch.

Chinese man has 2 STONE tumour removed from his back during risky nine-hour operation

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: Yang Xiao, 27, from Shaanxi province, in China, bled so much during the operation that he had to be given around 40 pints of blood. He had surgery on February 19 and was released from hospital on March 12. He had had the tumour since he was a teenager and it measured 45cm by 30cm and was 17cm thick. He is pictured (left) before surgery and (right) after it.

The best way to get someone to quit smoking? BRIBE them with cash or lottery tickets, say researchers

People are more likely to give up smoking if they are offered financial rewards for doing so, research shows

Newcastle experts say projects in which people were given cash, vouchers, lottery tickets or other financial incentives to change their habits, revealed that rewards help.

Why fish will keep you active: Eating plenty in old age can reduce chance of medical or physical illness by 39%

Fish can help reduce the risk of medical and physical illness by almost 40 per cent, research shows

Researchers in Japan asked more 1,000 men and women to fill in a questionnaire designed to assess their mental and physical fitness.

Prescription charges to rise next month: Patients to see costs rise by 20p to £8.05 and another 15p rise will follow next year

Patients in England will have to pay 20p more for their prescriptions starting next month, ministers have announced

From 1 April, charges will go up from £7.85 to £8.05, and they will rise again to £8.20 the following year.

Girls who are obese at 11 'get lower GCSE results': Effect of weight can be difference between C and D grade

Overweight 11-year-olds did less well at school at 16, a new study has found (library image)

A study found that girls who were dangerously overweight at 11 did less well at school at 16.

Woman who feared she would never have children defies one in 100 million odds to have identical triplets

Annabelle Williams, from Cardiff, is expecting three identical boys - the rarest kind of triplets. She had previously lost a daughter to a rare birth defect. Scans have revealed she is expecting three identical boys, who all share one placenta. This phenomenon only happens once in every 60,000 pregnancies involving twins and is even rarer for triplets. She is now 23 weeks pregnant.

ADHD doesn't exist and drugs do more harm than good: Doctor claims symptoms can have routine causes that are ignored due to knee-jerk diagnosis

The eminent doctor who is convinced ad hd doesn't exist: In fact, says Dr RICHARD SAUL, the symptoms can have routine causes and drugs do more harm than good

After 50 years of practising medicine DR RICHARD SAUL reaches the conclusion there is no such thing as ADHD.

Is this why some people can't stop smoking? The brain's motivation centre reacts more strongly to positive images of cigarettes than negative ones

Smokers' brains are more susceptible to positive images of smoking than to pictures showing the illness it causes

Researchers in Montreal, Canada, found the brains of smokers are less susceptible to pictures of the negative health effects of smoking than to positive images.

Why you should NEVER keep your mobile in your bedroom

Keeping our mobiles on overnight makes us 'hypervigilant' so our sleep is more likely to be disturbed

Eight out of ten of us keep our mobiles on overnight according to Ofcom, and around half use our phone as an alarm clock.

It's not a daft fad to be milk intolerant - it's in our genes

For 3m people in the UK a glass of cow juice is about as welcome as being force-fed cod liver oil

When archaeologists investigated two 7,000-year-old corpses unearthed in Spain in 2006, genes showed a man was lactose intolerant.

The baby with two heads: Indian mother too poor to have an ultrasound gives birth to conjoined twins

Urmila Sharma, 28, gave birth to conjoined twins at Cygnus JK Hindu Hospital in Sonipat, Haryana, in northern India, yesterday morning. The baby girl has two heads, two necks and two spines but only one body. She is under close observation in the neonatal intensive care unit, though doctors fear her chances of survival are slim.

ASK THE DOCTOR WITH DR MARTIN SCURR

I'm in constant pain but no one listens Dr Martin Scurr recognises the symptoms of osteoarthritis in a patient who senses they have been identified as a hypochondriac.