A little boy who suffered a mystery childhood stroke has been fitted with special limb braces to help him live life to the full.

Five-year-old Jacob Jackson suffered a debilitating stroke two weeks before his third birthday - but parents Liz and Garry had no idea what caused it.

As a result he was left paralysed down one side, unconscious, and unable to speak for six days. He regained his movement but still has a weakness down one side.

Doctors have now fitted Jacob, a pupil at Norristhorpe Junior and Infant School in Liversedge, with a plastic leg brace - which is like half a leg - in Army combat colours and a brace on his wrist and arm.

"Jacob picked the leg brace himself," said Liz, 27.

"The doctor asked him if he wanted a football one, but Jacob wanted to be like Action Man!

"At school, children would ask him why he was in a "big pushchair" and why he wore the brace, which supports his weak leg. Jacob found that hard at first, but the teacher explained that in the way that some children wore glasses, Jacob wore a leg brace."

An MRI scan at Leeds General Infirmary last year showed that Jacob's brain was peppered with blood clots. Doctors told the family that his brain was unexpectedly deteriorating and tests confirmed the middle cerebral artery, which controls thirst and temperature, was badly diseased.

Jacob suffered two mini-strokes earlier this year, the second of which was on a family holiday to Disneyland Paris, which was the youngster's first trip abroad.

"I still can't believe this has happened - I am frightened every day," said Liz, of Cornmill Drive in Liversedge.

"It's really scary. We look at him as a timebomb and just hope he'll never go off. He gets very frustrated when people can't understand what he's saying and when he can't do things like put his socks on because of his hand."

Liz and Garry have just been back to see specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and were told their son's brain disease was still present. Medics have warned them that if Jacob gets a childhood infection which would raise his temperature or dehydrate him, it could trigger another stroke. He is due to visit Great Ormond Street in February for another brain scan.

Jacob's specialist, Fenella Kirkham at Great Ormond Street Hospital, goes on regular research trips overseas and tells Jacob's story in the hope that new research will one day pinpoint a cure.