A HAMPSHIRE mum is hoping that a pioneering treatment which saved the life of a boy who had lost 80 percent of his skin can help her son, who has a similar condition.

As has been widely reported, Hassan, a seven-year-old from Germany, had been placed in an induced coma after losing more than 80 percent of his skin due to a rare genetic condition, epidermis bullosa (EB).

EB is also known as 'butterfly disease', as sufferers' skin is so delicate that just brushing against it causes it to blister and tear.

Doctors took a skin graft from Hassan and used stem cells to genetically alter it and remove the faulty gene which causes the disease, before growing almost nine square feet of new skin, which was then grafted onto Hassan.

Before the operation, Hassan had raw skin which looked like a huge open wound over most of his body. Now, 21 months later, he appears to be fully recovered. Until now, the condition was considered incurable.

The huge scientific breakthrough has caused excitement for the family of Mason White, aged 8, who has EB.

Mason is in constant pain from the debilitating condition and his parents have to spend two to three hours a day changing his dressings and popping his blisters.

Mason struggles to walk as his feet are so painful, and he has lost the toes on his right foot.

His mobility varies depending on the state of his feet. He can walk short distances, but he is largely reliant on a mobility scooter.

Mason has undergone so many operations it would be impossible to keep count.

Touching him can leave finger marks and blisters on his skin. The condition affects him internally as well as externally – when he was a baby, he coughed up his oesophagus.

Mason's mum, Kerry, says that the news has given the family new hope.

"It's massive breakthrough," she said.

"Hassan has a different kind of EB to Mason, so we're trying not to get our hopes up too much at the moment, but we really hope this could benefit him in the long run.

"We knew that stem cell research was in the pipeline, but the outcome of this is unreal."

Yesterday, Mason saw his specialist doctor at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and Kerry says that they were given hope that in the future the treatment may be suitable for children with other types of EB, like Mason.

She added that if the procedure is suitable for him, the family expect to launch a huge fundraising campaign to ensure that he can be treated as soon as possible.

"We need to find out if Mason can have it done and if it's possible we'll have to throw everything into raising the money to send him abroad to be treated."

"It's absolutely brilliant news - fingers crossed that it can help Mason."