Plea to improve lives of young sufferers

May 25 2009 by Laura Caroe, The Journal

THE family of a little girl suffering from a rare condition is appealing for funding to help other sick children.

Emily Gullane was born with Cloacal Anomaly, an extremely complex condition which only affects girls and is so rare that doctors only see one case every five years in the North East.

Medics have said they have never seen such a severe case of the condition, which will affect Emily for the rest of her life. Her bowel, bladder and kidneys did not form properly and the youngster had surgery hours after she was born.

The three-year-old Hadrian Park Primary School pupil is thought to have been under anaesthetic more than 100 times and has spent most of her life in hospital.

Now her full-time mum Zara Minnis, of Holycross, Wallsend, North Tyneside, is urging people to donate towards a £1m appeal to make the new Great North Children’s Hospital even more comfortable for sick children.

The 240-bed complex, which will be based at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, will feature “clown doctors” and a 50-seat cinema. It will also include specialist cancer care, dialysis suites and accommodation areas for families.

The 22-year-old said: “A brilliant new hospital with brand new facilities for children will mean so much to both Emily and me.

“I always stay with Emily when she has treatment, so having our own room with a fold down bed for me will be much more comfortable to stay overnight.

“She has had so much surgery already and although she is always really upbeat and doesn’t dwell on her condition, she doesn’t look forward to going to theatre.”