This Christmas will likely be the very last for 7-year-old Addy, a young girl from England who suffers from the rare Batten Disease and has started to forget how to walk, talk, and eat.
According to the Daily Mirror, the condition – also known as childhood dementia – is so rare that only five children in the UK are diagnosed with every year. One of those, sadly, is Addy.
Now, her loving family are being forced to watch their daughter fade away before their eyes, and they fear that this Christmas will be the last one they get to spend with her.Addy’s mother, Haley, from Swindon, says her daughter’s plight “felt worse than the worst-case scenario.”
As per the Mirror, she added: “We are acutely aware this Christmas is probably going to be the last one Addy can see. Our daughter is fading in front of our eyes.”
Addy’s illness was first discovered when she was just four years old after she’d suffered a string of seizures.
“The disease steals every skill the children have ever learned,” Hayley explained.
“In effect, her brain is shrinking from the body’s ineffectiveness of being able to get rid of cell waste. This horrible disease has stolen the Addy we knew. It feels like the little girl in the photos on my wall is not my child anymore. I remember my husband dissolving into tears and saying we’re going to have to bury our daughter.”
Prior to Addy’s heartbreaking diagnosis, she was just like any other four-year-old. As per the Mirror, she used to enjoy zooming around on her scooter and building sandcastles.
Now, however, this poor little girl has lost the ability to eat and walk independently, and is beginning to go blind. Eventually, Addy will lose all her mobility and cognitive skills, which is naturally devastating to witness for those who love her.
At present, her family is trying to raise money for the local children’s hospice. All money collected before Christmas will go towards creating unforgettable memories for the children there, as well as providing support for families like Addy’s.
So incredibly tragic! I can’t imagine what this must be like for Addy’s friends and family.
We sincerely hope that this brave little girl has a wonderful Christmas with her parents, and that they can make some lasting memories.