Girl, 3, may never walk, talk or eat again after catching 'cold-like virus'

A heartbroken mum fears her three-year-old may never walk, talk or eat on her own again after a virus likened to a common cold left her with lifelong brain damage. Naomi Wall, 29, is facing the unimaginable after little Daisy-Rae Reid, three, fell victim to a seemingly innocuous virus.

The once bubbly and active toddler who "loved her food" and enjoyed running around, was struck down with vomiting and struggled to stay awake in April. Naomi initially dismissed the symptoms as a sickness bug until Daisy started displaying "weakness" and "tremors" on her left side.

Naomi, now Daisy's full-time carer supported by her partner, 36 year old plasterer Matthew Reid, took her to the hospital expecting a routine checkup. They were first sent home with antibiotics due to a suspected case of tonsillitis.

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But as Daisy's condition deteriorated to the point where she could barely maintain consciousness, Naomi knew something was seriously wrong, prompting an urgent ambulance call. A CT scan revealed Daisy had encephalitis, a serious swelling of the brain caused by infection, and needed immediate transfer to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (Gosh).

Shockingly, it was discovered that Daisy, also suffering from an underdeveloped immune system, had contracted a cold-like virus. This mounted a relentless assault on her brain, leading to brain damage, and dystonia, a condition characterized by unintended and often agonizing muscle contractions, likely affecting her for the rest of her life.

Doctors have warned that there is no certainty Daisy will ever regain the ability to walk, talk, or eat independently and there's a "high chance" she won't recognise her own parents.

In response to this crisis, Naomi's sister created a GoFundMe page to raise awareness of Daisy's condition and help Naomi and Matthew, also parents to Ronnie-Frederick, one, and Lily-Mai, nine.

Naomi shared her heartbreak with PA Real Life: "I feel absolutely devastated because Daisy before, she loved her food, loved running around, having fun, doing ordinary toddler stuff. We've been told there's no guarantee she will ever walk, talk or eat again.

"I would give absolutely anything just to have her back to herself again... I would give anything to have her walking, and hearing her voice on old videos just breaks my heart."

Recalling the onset of the illness in April, Naomi said: "She was absolutely fine on April 20, we went to the park with the grandparents, she was running around, right as rain. The next day, she had an early nap and woke up from that nap being sick. I tried getting her to eat something but she wasn't really interested."

Naomi's alarm increased when she noticed that her daughter Daisy was exhibiting "left-side weakness", where smiling did not fully extend to her left eye and the left side of her mouth, accompanied by left-sided tremors.

After presenting to the hospital and undergoing a blood gas test, doctors initially suspected tonsillitis, sending Daisy home with antibiotics and throat spray. Naomi had concerns it might be brain-related.

"The tests came back fine and I'd questioned if it was anything to do with her brain but we were assured it wasn't," she recounted.

Once back at home, despite Naomi's efforts to tempt Daisy with her favourite foods and drinks, her daughter remained out of sorts. With no improvement, on April 26, Naomi called an ambulance, praising the paramedics for their "amazing" response and quick recognition that something was seriously wrong.

Upon arrival at the hospital, Daisy required an urgent CT scan which revealed significant brain swelling. Naomi shared the scan pointed to a brain infectionlater diagnosed as encephalitis.

Encephalitis, a rare but severe inflammation of the brain noted by the NHS, can stem from various infectious agents or immune system complications and may leave sufferers with persistent brain damage-induced difficulties.

Naomi described the terrifying moment when her daughter became "agitated" and "upset", with her oxygen levels plummeting. "They rushed us around to resus and from that point, there were about 15 to 20 doctors around us," she recalled.

"They put Daisy in an induced coma and on ventilation... seeing your child looking absolutely lifeless, it was horrible."

The family were then whisked off to Gosh where Naomi said Daisy underwent an MRI and a lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap. "They didn't know if she was going to have part of her skull removed to relieve the pressure," Naomi shared.

After a week-long stay in the ICU, the family received the devastating news that Daisy had been diagnosed with dystonia due to brain damage, meaning she may never walk, talk or eat again. "We were also told she would never be able to breathe on her own and there was a high chance she would never know who me or her dad was," Naomi revealed.

"They found she had tested positive for a virus, similar to a common cold, but they were not too sure what had caused it all. They said her immune system was really, really weak, which is why it had impacted her brain rather than her immune system."

During this time, Naomi said Daisy's dystonia began to manifest itself. "All she would do was scream and cry in pain, that went on for a good 10 to 12 weeks," she said. "She was constantly in pain every single day her medication list is probably longer than my whole arm."

On July 2, Daisy was transferred back to a hospital closer to home and her mother Naomi noticed she seemed to become "very settled". "She then began to give people high-fives and we saw her smile again for the first time in 15 weeks, so it was absolutely amazing," Naomi recounted.

Naomi also shared that Daisy has since been able to recognise herself and Matthew, noting that she would cry when they left the room and "stare at us" when they returned. Following this, Daisy spent 12 weeks at a rehabilitation centre, starting on July 31.

During her time there, Daisy progressed to consuming pureed food after previously being tube-fed, and regained control of her head, left hand, and started to grasp objects with her right hand. In October, Daisy was able to return home, where her parents have taken on the responsibility of providing her with round-the-clock care.

"It's been a massive struggle, we have to set alarms all throughout the night to make sure we're up to administer medication," Naomi explained. S "It's still a very, very long road ahead of us and for dystonia, there is no cure so this little girl will live with it for the rest of her life."

But Naomi finds solace in the fact that "She's alive, she's breathing and she's home that's the main thing."

The GoFundMe page created by Naomi's sister has successfully raised over £4,500 to date.

For more information or to contribute, please visit the family's fundraising page

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