The little girl with a whole mountain of courage
THREE YEARS OF MEDICAL BATTLES
SHE might only be small but this little girl has a mountain of courage.
Six year-old Lyla O’donovan has scooped a Chronicle Champion Child of Courage Award after her parents, Paul and Kirsty, told her heartbreaking story.
She was only three when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour and was given a 50/50 chance of survival.
But she brought tears to people’s eyes at the awards’ ceremony at the Hilton Newcastlegateshead when she went on stage to meet host Anna Foster, from Radio Newcastle.
Dad Paul, 32, of Ushaw Moor, County Durham, said: “I was going to go on stage with her but moments before she said ‘no dad, I’m going on my own.’
“She loved it and jumped off my knee and was talking to Anna in front of everyone. And when Lyla was asked about her operation she said ‘I was frightened a little bit but not too much.’
“We are so proud of her. She never whinges and copes with everything that is thrown at her. She’s just brilliant.”
After being diagnosed, Lyla underwent a 15-hour gruelling operation and spent months recovering.
But when there seemed to be light at the end of her dark tunnel, Lyla took another blow and was diagnosed with meningitis.
That was caught early by a course of antibiotics but then fluid on her brain was not draining as it should and an emergency shunt was fitted to relieve the pressure.
Then in February 2018 Lyla started having seizures.
An MRI scan showed that old scar tissue was fusing with a ventricle and causing a fluid blockage in her brain.
The doctors gave her epilepsy medicine to control the seizures and initially the drugs worked, but one of the side effects was that Lyla feels groggy and disorientated.
A new shunt was fitted to try and solve the seizures but that failed.
So Lyla was put on an ICP monitor to measure the pressure in her head.
Lyla is still having seizures and the family is in a wait-and-watch situation as doctors don’t want to operate right now.
But her family are taking every day as it comes as they enjoy their little princess.
Army soldier Paul, who also has five other children – Reece, 13, Olivia, 12, Lilley, 10, Harry, seven, and nine-month-old Henry, added: “She is getting an operation in the New Year that is pretty routine for brain surgery to have the ICP device taken out.
“But the other operation to dissect part of her brain that has fused together with scar tissue is being put off because the doctors don’t want to do that.
“It’s so risky that she might not come back.
“It’s so risky she could die. We have to take it day-by-day and not look too far into the future.”
Lyla loves singing, dancing and acting at Razzamataz Theatre School in Durham and is enjoying getting back into class at Bear Park Primary.
Paul added: “The Chronicle Champions Awards was a night to remember.
“Every single person who won an award deserves the praise. It was a flawless night and Lyla loved every minute of it.” PAUL O’DONOVAN
We are so proud of her. She never whinges and copes with everything that is thrown at her. She’s just brilliant. The other operation to dissect part of her brain that has fused together with scar tissue is being put off because the doctors don’t want to do that. It’s so risky that she might not come back.