Saturday, March 14, 2015

Redcar toddler Jersey-Star keeps smiling despite battle with hip condition


This gorgeous little girl well and truly lives up to her name.


At just 27-months-old, Jersey-Star has already gone through more than any little girl of her age should.


But despite this, the toddler is a shining light and has never stopped smiling.


Jersey-Star was born with hip dysplasia - a condition where the ball and socket hip joint fails to develop fully and does not fit together.


As a result, she has had to undergo several bouts of treatment and numerous operations.


“She is always smiling but all this must be difficult for her,” said proud mum Natasha Siviter, 29.


The condition was unearthed following routine tests that every newborn has.


“I knew what some were for, but the test where the doctor pulls on the legs I didn’t,” said Natasha, also mum to Rio, seven, and nine-year-old Angel.


“I felt like I should have been told because I soon needed to know why they do it.


“After the test was done, I was told something wasn’t quite right and the next morning we had to go back to James Cook as a matter of urgency.


“Jersey then had all these tests carried out on her and the next thing I knew I was being told she had to be wear a harness for three months.”


The first stage of treatment for hip dysplasia is for the baby to be put into a palvick harness. This device is designed to keep the hips in the correct position.


But unfortunately for Jersey and her family, this treatment failed to correct the problem.


“My head was completely gone,” said Natasha, a full-time mum who lives in Redcar with husband, Roy, 35.


“My baby had been in this harness for nine weeks and now I was being told she faced more treatment.”


Jersey-Star with siblings Rio and Angel Jersey-Star with siblings Rio and Angel


Jersey-Star then underwent closed reduction at six months - where the hip joints are manipulated to get the ball into the socket - and then an open reduction - surgery to try and make the hip joints more stable.


But both of these failed and Jersey then had to undergo femoral shortening. This operation saw Jersey have 1cm taken from each femur bone and metal plates inserted in an attempt to keep the hips in the correct position.


As a result, the little girl then had to be put into a spica cast - a cast from the chest to the ankles - for six months to allow for the healing process to take place.


This was taken off last August and Jersey-Star is now requiring regular physiotherapy and hydrotherapy to get her steady on her feet.


“It has been so difficult,” said Natasha.


“To have your baby in a body cast was horrible.


“Even simple things like changing her nappy was such a mission and she would get fed up, as anyone would.”


Jersey-Star now has “good days and bad days” - often getting extreme pain in her legs.


“She will face more surgery and will also need more physio and hydrotherapy,” said Natasha.


“But they can’t give it us at the hospital due to numbers so we are now fundraising to pay for the treatment privately.


“It costs about £100 per hour but we just want to give Jersey everything we can to get her stronger.”


The fundraising page was set up by Natasha’s dad Tony Farley, 55, and his wife Donna, and there is already over £3,500 in the bank.


“We have had so much support in such a short space of time, said Natasha. “We are so thankful.


“Jersey-Star is so determined to walk and she tries really hard, but this support is so necessary so we can help her achieve this.”


To help, visit http://bit.ly/19jIaBl



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