A 10-year-old girl who thought she had caught a sickness bug has been left unable to walk, talk or eat solid foods.
Kiera Mullin, from Birmingham, has been diagnosed with an extremely rare brain and spinal condition.
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She was rushed to Heartlands Hospital on February 21, after she started hallucinating, slurring her words and had trouble standing.
She was discharged after seven hours, but returned the following day when her mother Claire Mullin, 30, struggled to wake her up.
Claires cousin, Sarah Harford said: It was like she was drunk almost, she was slurring her words and wobbly on her feet.
She was rushed to Heartlands where she started having seizures and soon became completely unresponsive.
Kiera, a student at St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School in Hall Green, was diagnosed with acute necrotising encephalomyelitis – a rare condition that causes inflammation of the brain and spine.
She was transferred to Birmingham Childrens Hospital where she has been for the past eight weeks. Kiera has received four weeks of invasive plasma exchange therapy – a procedure which separates plasma from blood cells.
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The 10-year-old has since had to learn sign language to communicate, and although she is on the road to recovery, she still has a long way to go.
Sarah said: Shes going to be there for at least another month. Its like shes having to learn how to walk and talk from scratch again.
Theyre trying to get her transferred to a ward in Surrey for paediatric brain injuries where shed stay for three or four months.
Kiera was taught some sign language at the hospital and uses alphabet and number cards to spell words to communicate.
She can now hold short conversations, eat soft foods, and walk a few steps with help.
Sarah and her friend Maria Quinsey are now hoping to raise money to help Claire with the expense of having a child in hospital.
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They are organising a Family Fun Day in July and are inviting local businesses to get involved.
Sarah added: Shes [Claires] a single mum so we just want to raise money to help her. Shes got a seven-year-old son too and shes had to rely on family and friends to look after him.
If Kiera goes to Surrey her mum will go with her and shell need help with all the travel expenses.
Maria said half of the money raised will go to the ward where Kiera is now, and the rest will go to her family to help with expenses.
Kieras GoFundMe page has reached almost £950 of the £1,000 goal.
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