'Scouse Baby' update as mum thanks Alder Hey for support

Alder Hey has issued an update on a baby who became famous due to her Scouse mannerisms. Twenty month-old Orla went viral after her mum’s friend Olayka recorded a video of her talking to her friend.

Mum Rhiannon, from Dingle, told the ECHO at the time: “Orla was trying to get her to go to bed and that was all her response to Olayka. She shared it on her Instagram story and it was quite popular. Then she was saying, you should share it online, you should share it on TikTok. I gave her the go ahead to share it on her TikTok.”

“She has the Scouse accent through me and others around her, which we hadn't sort of picked up on because obviously she just sounds a lot like us. It was just normal for us.”

This afternoon, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital revealed Orla has been receiving treatment at the children's hospital for her eczema. Rhiannon thanked Alder Hey for its work.

A post on the hospital’s Facebook page said: “You may recognise baby Orla (also known as The Scouse Baby) from when she went viral for her adorable scouse accent. A minute-long clip of Orla's baby talk has been viewed more than 15 million times after being posted on TikTok.

“Now 20 months old, Orla has been a patient at Alder Hey for half her life. She began showing signs of eczema at just four months old, and managing it became increasingly difficult. By 10 months old, Orla was scratching so much that she was drawing blood, leading to frequent infections.

“At her first dermatology appointment, Orla was thoroughly examined and diagnosed with eczema and dermatitis. For two weeks, she had to come in every other day for fresh bandages.”

Rhiannon said: “We are incredibly grateful for the amazing care she receives at Alder Hey. Orla is doing great, and her skin is improving. While she isn't quite cured yet, with the help of the dermatology team, managing her condition has become much easier. We remain hopeful that she will outgrow her eczema one day.”

Rhiannon has said she and her friends deliberately speak to Orla like an adult to improve her development. She said: “I do communicate with Orla quite a lot and I've always ensured that I speak to Orla in proper sentences rather than 'goo goo ga ga'.

"It's nice that I've got support from family and friends around, which I think has definitely had a positive impact on her speech development. She's an angel baby. She's always great going to bed and she's always slept through, so I can't complain.

"It's been really nice because of all of the reactions. People offline have all been really positive and they're just demanding to see more of her now. Orla has her own Instagram and TikTok now, the following has just grown by the day. It’s a new venture for us. But Orla’s none the wiser.”