A little girl who suffers from a serious lung disease and nearly died as a baby is on the path to a miracle recovery.
Isabella Siddall, five, from Sutton, was born eight weeks before her due date, with underdeveloped lungs that led her to suffer from pulmonary hypertension (PT) and be dependent on being supplied with oxygen for the first years of her life.
Now as her condition improves beyond expectation, she has been leading a close-to-normal life, without the need for medication.
Her mother, Difra Arnthorsdottir, 39, a part-time tour operator, cared for Isabella full time during the worst of the disease.
She said: “She was very seriously ill as a baby during the first couple of years. As she grew, her lungs improved and she almost has no sign of the disease anymore.
“We are hoping in the next few months to remove the feeding tube she has into her tummy.”
Isabella, who lives with dad Mark Siddall, 41, a tennis coach, and brother Daniel, 9, is a year one pupil at All Saints Benhilton School.
Miss Arnthorsdottir said: “She has a life now, but we don’t know what the future holds.
“PH sufferers can lead very difficult lives and if you have it and get better you don’t know if it won’t come back.
“But we are very optimistic and we think she has a life ahead of her.”
PH can occur with or without an identifiable cause.
Pulmonary hypertension is a rare lung disorder in which the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery rises far above normal levels.
At the same time as the pressure rises, the walls of the pulmonary arteries become thicker. Charity the Pulmonary Hypertension Association supports sufferers throughout their treatment.
For more information on the condition and how to get help go to www.phassociation.uk.com.
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