Every year thousands of children are born with serious yet unexplained health issues. With no diagnosis, they struggle to get medical treatment or much-needed support
Mandy Hughes was nine weeks pregnant with her daughter, Polly, when she was told her baby might not survive. She and her husband went through dozens of tests before doctors discovered their baby had an enlarged heart. It was a devastating blow, but after the birth, it soon became clear that Polly’s challenges were just beginning.
“She dropped below her birth weight and wasn’t feeding properly or meeting milestones,” says Mandy, 42, who lives in Builth Wells, Wales. At four months old, Polly was referred for heart treatment, but her condition continued to deteriorate. It was two years before she was able to sit up by herself, and she was constantly unwell. “She was vomiting 24 hours a day – I don’t know how she survived,” says Mandy. “There were nights it was like she was drowning in her own sick – it was horrific. She could just about tolerate enough milk to survive but not enough to put on weight.”
