Baby with rare condition born with ADULT-SIZED head
THE LITTLE girl has defied all odds to stay alive, and has undergone 40 operations in four years.
Lydia was born with a rare condition that saw her head swell to adult size
Lydia Rankin has been fighting for life since before she was even born.
Her mother, Ruth, was told that her baby would not survive the birth.
At Ruth’s 20-week-scan, medics detected a very rare brain disorder in her unborn child.
But the Greater Manchester resident knew her little girl was a fighter from the moment she felt her strong kicks.
Lydia's condition sees a build up of fluid in the head that makes it expand
Doctors offered Ruth a termination when she was less than halfway through her pregnancy.
But she didn’t hesitate to refuse, and young Lydia is now four years old.
Ruth said: “The surgeon has told us she made her own rule book. It has been a rollercoaster. We've been told three times in her life she was going to die but she's a strong ox.
“She inspires all of us and her strength keeps us alive. She is our miracle.”
Ruth was told baby Lydia wouldn't live past a few weeks
Lydia’s condition is called Alobar holoprosencephaly, which renders the front lobes of the brain unable to separate during development.
The life-limiting condition means she can’t walk or talk, and is still unable to move her arms and legs as signals aren’t transmitted from her brain.
She also has hydrocephalus, which is a build up of fluid that makes the head expand.
In Lydia’s short life, she has had over 40 operations on her head but mum-of-four Ruth said she is still full of smiles.
Ruth said Lydia is "full of smiles"
Ruth said: “Watching your child suffer is a parent’s worst nightmare, (but) we are strong naLydia loves life…
“She is amazing.”
The family are fundraising for a standing frame for Lydia so she doesn't have to sit in her wheelchair all day, a specialist system to straighten her head while she sleeps and a sensory area for her, complete with fibre optic lights.
To donate towards equipment for Lydia, go to www.gofundme.com/9wcr6gc4