As some of you may know our very own EllaRae Bower is currently quite poorly. The Aycliffe Radio team have clubbed together to get her some gifts after her hospital admission at the weekend because once we saw how serious her condition was we were all, frankly, heart broken.
To see such a vibrant, beautiful young soul suffering was so awful.
EllaRae’s Mum, Sarah Brown, is keen to spread awareness for this particular illness as she doesn’t want any other family to have to go through what they have.
This is their story, as told by Sarah from a status she wrote exactly one year ago, assuming all of this was behind them. To have a relapse, as EllaRae has, is incredibly rare and Sarah got the shock of her life to see the symptoms return.
“So, I wanted to do our story . . . in 2015 I give birth to a beautiful baby girl, my two other children were over the moon, two weeks later I noticed a difference in my eldest child, but put it down to a change at home. One day I noticed she was spinning and being hyper and the next morning I noticed she couldn’t put her socks on and yes I got angry thinking she was being daft and sent her to school as normal.
I received a phone call from the school telling me EllaRae was hitting people and kicking her shoes off. I knew it wasn’t right, so took her to the doctors. I was told I was an overbearing parent who had just had a baby.
Two days later my daughter was in A&E going in to cardiac arrest.
I was told my daughters movements were the equivalent or her running a marathon. I didn’t tell my family how bad it was as I was told my daughter might die – I had a two week old baby at home who wanted to know her!
We were transferred to the RVI in Newcastle as my daughter couldn’t talk or walk or do anything, it was like having an 11 year old baby. I had to wash and change her, I taught her to talk again. EllaRae has undergone two plasma transplants IVIg to aid her recovery.
I watch her now and think how lucky we are, we have seen friends die and seen the heartache, but my daughter fights everyday, it has not gone away, but she won’t let it stop her.
This all happened because of strep throat, please never just think it’s a sore throat, Sydenham Chorea is a rare condition.
Sydenham Chorea is a neurological disorder, characterized by rapid, jerky, irregular, and involuntary movements (chorea), especially of the face and limbs. Additional symptoms may include muscle weakness, slurred speech, headaches, and seizures.”
The family are currently awaiting a call from the Neurologist to determine if EllaRae needs to be taken back to the RVI for another plasma transplant to help her fight this current relapse.
She has been discharged, for the time being, to her mothers care and we are all keeping our fingers and toes crossed that she mends quickly.
EllaRae is the youngest presenter on Aycliffe Radio and we all wish her a speedy recovery. Sending all the Aycliffe Radio Love!