![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_KNM_BENT_ARM_WAS_BONE_DISEASE_3.jpg\")
Ollie with mum Linzi<\/p>\nLinzi Gauld who thought her four-year-old son Ollie Gauld was faking a sore arm after a playground knock was left terrified when doctors discovered he was suffering from osteomyelitis \u2013 a rare and potentially serious bone infection.<\/p>\n
09:35, 08 Jan 2026Updated 09:39, 08 Jan 2026<\/p>\n
Ollie with mum Linzi<\/p>\n
A mum thought her son was faking a bent arm for attention as his brother was poorly – but it was a sign of a rare bone infection.<\/a><\/p>\n Linzi Gauld noticed her four-year-old son<\/a> Ollie Gauld couldn’t fully stretch his left arm in May 2025, but put it down to him having fallen over while playing football.<\/p>\n The 32-year-old said she thought Ollie <\/a>might be faking the injury for attention after his seven-year-old brother Alfie Gauld had been unwell the week before.<\/p>\n The vet receptionist noticed Ollie wincing when taking his shirts and jumpers on and off and that he eventually stopped using his left arm, later that month.<\/p>\n Linzi took the tot to a GP who suggested his arm may be broken and referred him to a children’s hospital. <\/a>There doctors performed an x-ray and, as it showed no signs of a broken bone, advised Linzi to bring Ollie back if there was no improvement within a week.<\/p>\n Two days later Linzi rushed Ollie back to hospital <\/a>as something ‘wasn’t sitting right’ with her about Ollie’s condition. The mum-of-two said doctors then warned it could be something more serious and suspected a bone infection, putting Ollie on an IV drip and antibiotics.<\/p>\n An MRI scan revealed the tot had osteomyelitis, a painful bone infection that can cause serious long-term problems if not treated. Ollie stayed in hospital for a week and Linzi is currently keeping an eye on his arm as doctors said the infection could return.<\/p>\n Linzi, from Aberdeen<\/a>, Scotland, said: “It started with taking off his t-shirt or jumper at night time and putting it on in the morning. He would go ‘ouch.’<\/p>\n “I thought it was odd but his older brother had been [feeling poorly] so we thought maybe he was doing it for attention.<\/p>\n “He plays football and he just falls so I thought maybe he twisted his arm.<\/p>\n “It got to the point where he wasn’t using it much and wasn’t straightening it and I thought ‘that’s a bit weird’ and thought we’d go to the doctor’s.<\/p>\n “She [the doctor] said she thinks it’s broken. We went to the hospital and they did an x-ray and said it doesn’t show any breaks.<\/p>\n “They said to contact them in a week if it doesn’t get any better. I was at home thinking ‘it can’t be anything bad’.<\/p>\n “He was still acting like a normal toddler, he wasn’t being any different. I waited another two days and something wasn’t sitting right with me so I thought I’d go back to the hospital.<\/p>\n “They got the orthopaedic surgeon to have a look and she said doing an MRI would confirm what it was but there was definitely an infection.<\/p>\n “At that point they talked about blood cancer and said it could be leukaemia. I thought ‘oh my God, I thought we would only go home in a cast.’<\/p>\n “Luckily it didn’t turn out to be leukaemia. He was put to sleep for an MRI scan and it confirmed it was osteomyelitis.<\/p>\n “We started on the IV and antibiotics and then on the Monday he had the MRI scan. It’s quite rare to have it where he had it.<\/p>\n “I was scared for his life, I was told you have to watch for sepsis and things with infections.”<\/p>\n The mum was warned the infection could return somewhere else in Ollie’s body and she was advised to treat his recovery like a broken bone.<\/p>\n Linzi said: “You don’t think of it, it’s something I had never heard of. We were told to treat it like a broken bone so he can’t do many things normal toddlers do.<\/p>\n “As a mum you just know when something is not 100%, I still didn’t feel happy with him.<\/p>\n “He had a sore arm but he hadn’t fallen or anything, it could just appear again somewhere else.”<\/p>\n Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!<\/p>\n Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.<\/p>\n You’ll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.<\/p>\n No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_KNM_BENT_ARM_WAS_BONE_DISEASE_8.jpg\")
Ollie in hospital.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_KNM_BENT_ARM_WAS_BONE_DISEASE_7.jpg\")
Linzi with Alfie and and Ollie. <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_KNM_BENT_ARM_WAS_BONE_DISEASE_11.jpg\")
Ollie couldn’t fully stretch his left arm in May 2025, but put it down to him having fallen over while playing football. <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_KNM_BENT_ARM_WAS_BONE_DISEASE_9.jpg\")
Ollie had a rare bone infection<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_KNM_BENT_ARM_WAS_BONE_DISEASE_15.jpg\")
Linzi with her boys<\/p>\n