A "vulnerable and fragile" teenager has had her life-changing spinal surgery cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Lucy Finch, 13, was diagnosed with severe scoliosis around five years ago and is now in need of an operation due to her spine being at a 70 degree angle.
The operation was scheduled for next month but doctors have told Lucy's family the surgery has been postponed following the outbreak of Covid-19, ChronicleLive reports.
Mum Deborah Finch, 41, said: "We are sad and disappointed as we'd been preparing Lucy for the treatment and then to break the news to her that it is being delayed.
"It's now about reassuring her that everything is okay and supporting her the best we can.
"Lucy's spine is at a 70 degree angle. She had to withdraw from physical activities and she is in pain if she sits down for a long period of time. She's really conscious of how she looks with clothes not fitting her properly.
"The sooner we do it the sooner we overcome this. For her she needs a lot of support. We also understand the decision made by the doctors in the current climate and they were very sorry.
"We were half expecting it to be honest. I had a feeling and it was a bit of a relief to finally know.
"They said when they can begin doing surgeries again she will be one of the first in line."
Lucy, who lives in Houghton-le-Spring, was born with microcephaly, a condition where the head is smaller than normal. She has a significant learning disability and struggles with high levels of anxiety as a result of her challenges.
Since being diagnosed with severe scoliosis, Lucy's condition has rapidly deteriorated, most notably over the past 12 months.
The teenager is deemed to be 'urgent' on the operation waiting list, and was looking forward to going under the knife at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
The operation can last up to 10 hours with Lucy then likely needing 10 days of recovery in hospital and a further eight weeks of close support at home.
Deborah said: "Everything to her is scary and a worry so to have surgery is massive for Lucy.
"She also struggled with her speech and did not talk until she was three. She talks at home but no one has really heard her speak outside of the immediate family. She now whispers at school but it's taken a long time.
"She's vulnerable and fragile. She's small for her age and not gained weight as she should.
"This surgery is very important for Lucy. Nothing medically can change her other difficulties and we've made environmental adjustments to make it easier for her.
"But with her back this can be corrected to about 70% which will make a huge difference to her."
Lucy and her family have not yet been given a rescheduled surgery date, although they hope it's sometime in the coming months.
The sooner the operation the sooner the family can go to Disneyland, too, after Deborah promised Lucy and her three other daughters, aged 17, 15 and eight, they would make the trip once Lucy recovers.
Deborah said: "Lucy has always wanted to go to Disneyland and I promised her we would go after her operation.
"It will give her something to look forward to once all this is over with.
"This procedure will help with Lucy's pain and having clothes that fit her properly will be massive for her confidence. It will certainly give her a much better quality of life."
