A baby from the Midlands is awaiting life-saving surgery after being sent home by doctors 15 times, with her rare lung condition repeatedly misdiagnosed as a simple chest infection.
A Mother's Instinct Ignored
Ellie Stimson, 21, knew something was wrong with her daughter, Isla-Rae Burton, from the moment she was born in February. The newborn was persistently wheezing, struggling to breathe, and coughing up mucus. Despite these alarming signs, medical professionals told first-time parents Ellie and Keiron Burton, 23, that their daughter "would probably grow out of it" because she seemed like a "happy baby."
Over the next eight months, the desperate couple from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, made a total of 15 visits to their GP and the Royal Stoke University Hospital. Each time, they were told Isla-Rae had a chest infection and were sent away with treatments like antibiotics, saline spray, and Calpol.
The Shocking Diagnosis and Collapsed Lung
It was not until October, when Isla-Rae was nine months old, that further investigations were finally conducted. The results were devastating. Isla-Rae was diagnosed with Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation (CPAM), an extremely rare condition where cysts grow in the lung during pregnancy. According to the charity Asthma + Lung UK, this affects only 1 in 10,000 babies.
Worse still, scans revealed the baby had a collapsed lung, a fact that may have been present for months. "The shadowing on her lung wasn't an infection at all - it was because she had a collapsed lung," Ellie stated. Isla-Rae spent six critical hours on life support following the diagnosis.
Ellie has expressed her heartbreak and anger at the missed opportunities: "They've failed her and the thought that we could have lost her breaks my heart... We go to the hospital with our children to trust them to tell us what's wrong with them." She revealed that signs were visible on scans as early as May but were dismissed.
Fighting for Surgery and Facing Financial Strain
Isla-Rae is now on a waiting list for a major operation at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Both parents have had to leave their jobs to provide round-the-clock care for their daughter. Ellie, a former care assistant, said she had to proactively contact the hospital herself to chase the surgery date after hearing nothing for weeks.
With Keiron also recently losing his job as a grounds maintenance worker, the family is facing significant financial pressure from escalating care costs, travel, and accommodation. They have started a fundraiser to help cover these expenses.
Ann-Marie Riley, chief nurse at Royal Stoke University Hospital, responded: "We take all concerns raised very seriously and have a robust process in place to investigate concerns... We are now in communication with Isla-Rae's family and will work with them regarding their complaint."
The family's ordeal highlights the critical importance of persistent advocacy in healthcare and the profound consequences when serious symptoms are repeatedly overlooked.
