Meet Isla, a spirited 14-year-old from Stanford-le-Hope in Essex. Despite facing the extraordinary challenge of never being able to consume food or drink due to a rare health issue, she is all about living life to the fullest.
When she was just a kid, Isla had to have her bowel removed and now relies on a tube that feeds her directly into a major artery near her heart. Recently, she also learned that she has osteoporosis, a condition that affects bone strength, which has now forced her to use a wheelchair.
“I always try to stay positive,” Isla shares. “Though the pain can sometimes bring me down, I do my best to keep a good mindset.”
This teenager’s condition is such an anomaly that it doesn’t have an official name. For 18 hours each day, she receives intravenous infusions into her bloodstream. Isla also battles with complications affecting her immune system, liver, and kidneys and has faced multiple episodes of sepsis.
Although she was thriving in high school until last year, a sepsis episode has kept her from returning since. “It’s been really tough. I was doing so great in school, but getting sepsis hit me hard, and I still haven’t felt well enough to go back,” she explains.
One of Isla’s great joys is going to music concerts. She recalls her recent experience at a Tate McRae show as one of her best nights ever, despite the back pain that had her crying herself to sleep afterward. She even enjoyed a family cruise this year, although she felt intense back pain during the trip.
Her dedicated mother, Ashlee, left her job as a support worker to provide constant care for Isla from the time she was born. Recently, a friend of Ashlee’s set up a GoFundMe page, and thanks to generous donations totaling over £3,000, they hope to acquire a specialized wheelchair for Isla, as her current one is quite basic.
“I feel so thankful and overwhelmed by all the support I’ve received,” Isla says. Her mother is thrilled about the potential for a customized wheelchair, which could afford Isla a little more independence, making her feel more like a typical teenage girl.
Ashlee beams with pride for her daughter: “Isla doesn’t realize how amazing she is. She’s incredibly brave and resilient. I just look at her and feel such pride, especially given everything she has been through while remaining so kind and happy.”
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