A baby girl who was not expected to live long after birth is defying the odds and proving doctors who made the prognosis wrong, While in the womb, the, now nine-month-old was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and has to travel with her parents to hospital multiple times a week for treatment.
Little Aaliyah is a cherished daughter to parents Siobhan Sharrock, 26, and dad, Christopher Evans, 34, from Plymouth and she keeps smiling despite everything. She has treatment in Bristol and the family say the Lighthouse Ward in Bristol Royal Family saved Aaliyah's life.
Siobhan's sister, Nadine Davies, is now taking on the challenge of running the Plymouth Half Marathon to raise money for Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal which supports the Bristol hospital, Plymouth Live reports.
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Aaliyah has already faced a lot on her short life so far, she was born with the cord wrapped around her neck resulting in a bleed on the brain and she had to have CPR at just four hours old. She's had a chest drain inserted, a blood line for haemodialysis, a peritoneal dialysis catheter and bronchitis.
At two days old, Aaliyah's parents were told she had just a 20 per cent chance of survival and although she's beaten the odds, the battle isn't over yet.
Siobhan and Christopher have to travel 240 miles to Bristol and back with Aaliyah four times a week for haemodialysis and Siobhan admits she is "absolutely knackered". She is a full-time carer for little Aaliyah while Christopher works in his family bakery business, St Maurice Bakery.
On how she felt finding out her sister was fundraising for the hospital ward, Siobhan said: "I was absolutely thrilled because the staff up there are absolutely amazing, they go out their way 100%.
"They're just amazing, if you get upset they take the time to sit with you and offer you a cup of tea, they've got a support social worker there and she has been fantastic with us."
Making their situation even more difficult, the family have been given two months to find somewhere to live as their landlord is selling their house in Plymstock. Siobhan said the social worker at the hospital has been so supportive regarding that situation, helping them as much as she can.
Aaliyah has an operation scheduled for March 14 and they have been told they have to be out of the house by March 21. Staff on the ward have said Siobhan can go home and carry on packing if needed and they will sit with Aaliyah in her absence.
Siobhan added: "It's like a little family, it's not a hospital. I can't fault them. I think I'll cry when we leave that hospital. They treat her as their own."
Aaliyah's older sisters, Dana, 5, and Soraya, 2, understand the situation more now as at first they struggled that most of their mum's attention was going to the baby. Siobhan says Soraya loves her grandparents so much, she's just happy she gets to spend more time with them now while Siobhan is in hospital.
To read more about Aaliyah's story and donate to Nadine's fundraiser, click here.
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