Little Eleanor Sim, from Kirkcaldy, Fife, spent weeks in intensive care after developing the rare condition just hours after being born.
A baby who is one of Scotland’s youngest ever stroke survivors is celebrating her first birthday after a remarkable battle.
Little Eleanor Sim spent weeks in intensive care after developing the rare condition just hours after being born.
Eleanor’s family, from Kirkcaldy in Fife, is today marking her big day with loved ones and a special birthday cake with a purple stroke awareness ribbon.
Parents Kimberley and John spoke of the horror of watching their daughter’s health deteriorate and their pride in her recovery.
Kimberley said: “Watching our precious little girl turning one is something that feels incredibly special.
“Words cannot describe how proud we are, of her strength, her resilience, and how much she has achieved in just one year of her life.
“There have been times when the anxiety over her future has been all consuming, and there is still that worry of whether or not she will face more hurdles as she grows.
“This time last year, we watched helplessly as our daughter began having seizures, something that you cannot comprehend happening in a newborn. She was covered in wires and tubes and then began two weeks of invasive tests and procedures. The trauma of that time will never leave us.
“But right now, in this moment, we are grateful for her health and happiness. She loves to dance, she loves her two big brothers and she brings joy to everyone who meets her.”
Around 400 children suffer a stroke in the UK every year.
Babies can suffer strokes in the womb or just after birth when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, depriving brain tissue of vital oxygen and causing cells to die – sparking a critical emergency.
A stroke can affect movement, speech, vision and how a child swallows. It can also impact learning, memory, behaviour, and mood.
Born at 39 weeks after a planned c-section, Eleanor needed help with her breathing and was moved to neonatal care but was expected to quickly join her mother on the maternity ward.
But the following day her parents noticed she was twitching, which was later identified as seizures.
She was rushed to intensive care for a series of tests, including a lumbar puncture, before eventually being stable enough for an MRI, where it was revealed she’d had a stroke.
The news left her parents “numb” with shock.
Eleanor spent two further weeks in hospital before being allowed to go home, where she has remained under specialist care at a high-risk clinic.
But she has gone on to achieve her developmental milestones so far, with per parents describing her as an “absolute warrior”.
The happy one-year-old is doted on by big brothers, two-year-old Arthur and eight-year-old Thomas.
To celebrate her amazing milestone, the family are urging Scots to help raise finds for stroke services, including the Stroke Association’s childhood stroke support team.
Associate director John Watson said: “Every day, a family somewhere is going to have their world absolutely turned upside down from this.
“It’s wonderful the family chose to speak out. Raising awareness isn’t always easy, but they’ve done that to help us. As a charity we’re reliant on donations so we can continue to provide that support.”
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