A baby girl is awaiting major surgery after her parents say a rare lung condition was repeatedly missed by doctors, leading to her being placed on a life support machine.
A Mother's Persistent Concerns Ignored
Parents Ellie Stimson, 21, and Keiron Burton, 23, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, say they knew something was wrong with their daughter, Isla-Rae, from her birth in February last year. The infant displayed constant wheezing and coughed up mucus. Despite eight separate visits to Royal Stoke Hospital with these concerns, they were reportedly sent home each time.
"I was getting her seen from as early as two weeks old because I knew something wasn’t right," Ellie told local media. "But the doctors just said it was normal." She says they were told Isla-Rae was a 'happy baby' who would 'grow out of it' and were given saline solution for her sinuses and later antibiotics for suspected infections.
The Collapsed Lung and Critical Diagnosis
The situation reached a crisis point in October when Isla-Rae's breathing deteriorated severely and she was put on life support. It was only then that she was diagnosed with Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation (CPAM), a rare condition where cysts develop in the lungs while in the womb.
Ellie questions why the condition, which is usually detected at the 20-week scan and corrected with surgery immediately after birth, was not identified sooner. She revealed that shadowing seen on Isla-Rae's lung in an X-ray back in May was later explained as a collapsed lung, a fact the family says they were not told immediately.
"The shadowing on her lung... wasn’t an infection at all," Ellie said. "She may have had a collapsed lung for months. I knew it wasn’t just an infection because it never got better. She was receiving treatment for conditions she never had."
Financial Strain and a Plea for Support
Isla-Rae is now awaiting surgery at Birmingham Children's Hospital. The family faces significant financial pressure due to the costs of travel and accommodation in Birmingham, compounded by Keiron having to take considerable time off work for hospital visits.
"We’re on very little money," Ellie explained. "And travelling and paying for a hotel in Birmingham is going to be very expensive... We’re just hoping people can help us a little bit to give us some security. We just want to get her better and put all this behind us." The family has set up a GoFundMe page to seek support.
In response to the family's experience, Royal Stoke chief nurse, Ann-Marie Riley, said: "I was sorry to hear the concerns regarding Isla-Rae’s care. We take any concerns raised by patients and families extremely seriously and I would encourage Isla-Rae's parents to contact our patient advice and liaison team to discuss these concerns so we can fully investigate these."
