ENNISKILLEN Castle was illuminated green at the weekend, as part of a major campaign to raise awareness of a rare genetic disorder which affects  one in every 10,000 children in the North, including a local boy.
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council agreed to light up the popular building to mark PKU Day, an event which was held to raise awareness of Phenylketonuria, a rare genetic condition.
Three-year-old Charlie Johnston lives with the condition which affects how the body breaks down amino acids and metabolises protein. His family felt it was important to raise the profile of PKU.
“There’s not a lot of awareness about PKU. If you said to someone in the street that your child has it, they probably wouldn’t have a clue what it is,” Courtney Timlin, Charlie’s mother, explained.
The local community reacted warmly to the campaign, with some people delving into research around PKU. Managing Charlie’s diet is important in maintaining his health and wellbeing.
“Charlie has to follow a low-protein diet, effectively, he’ll be vegetarian and vegan,” Courtney said.
“He’s not allowed eggs, milk, meat, bread, even some vegetables and mashed potatoes. Everything has to be carefully weighed and measured.
“He can only have a certain amount of specific foods,” added the Irvinestown mother.