Amazing Holly brings us such cheer...

Byline: By MIKE MORGAN

BRAVE GIRL in a million Holly Rix is astounding her family and teachers with the progress she's making in coping with a rare and debilitating condition When Holly, of Thames Road, Skelton, was born, she was suffering from tuberous sclerosis syndrome - a genetic condition.

Top Teesside specialists had earlier diagnosed her as likely to have the disease while still in her mother Zoe's womb. And, when she was born in 2002, she began having the trademark epileptic fits associated with the illness.

Now, six years later, Zoe, 31, reports that, while Holly will never be able to lead a completely normal life, the progress she has made is amazing.

Holly now attends Kilton Thorpe Special School at Brotton where she is gradually learning to talk and loves the hydrotherapy pool. At home she sings along to tunes, dances and is a very affectionate and happy little girl.

Zoe says Holly is "an absolute pleasure to be around" and is the apple of the eye for her loving brother Harvey, eight.

"She loves nursery rhymes the best. And she loves giving and receiving cuddles," Zoe said.

"She really enjoys life. We just would not swap her for anything. And Harvey is so great - he really understands her problems and just loves her to bits."

Holly is on medication for life to control her fits, which no longer pose a serious problem.

But one awkward side effect of the condition is that Holly has difficulty sleeping, which affects the rest of the family.

Experts say the genetic illness causes usually non-malignant tumours to appear either on the brain or in other organs of the body. It has serious side effects such as epilepsy, autism and heart and kidney problems.

Holly has tumours in her heart and on her brain which has become enlarged to cope with the growths. Harvey is free of the illness.

Zoe said she was offered a termination when doctors diagnosed Holly's condition but said she and husband Steven, 35, decided against it.

She said: "Now we wouldn't swap her for the world - and her grandparents think the same."

Holly was born at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital on October 12, 2002.

She began suffering up to 40 fits a day and underwent an MRI scan in Newcastle which led to the confirmation of the diagnosis.

The condition is incurable but medicine can help sufferers lead a more normal life.

Zoe added: "Holly is still our beautiful little girl in a million."

Youth worker Zoe gave a talk on the condition which so moved colleague Darrel Slater, 31, of Redcar, he volunteered to climb Roseberry Topping 20 times in a 24 hour period to raise cash for the Tuberous Sclerosis Association.

For information on the condition, contact the Tuberous Sclerosis Association on www.tuberous-sclerosis.org, or 0121 445 6970.

For more stories from this area, visit www.gazettelive.co.uk/ts12

CAPTION(S):

SPECIAL GIRL: Holly Rix with her mum Zoe, dad Steven and big brother Harvey, and pictured as a baby, top Main pictures by PETER BENN