Chickenpox of a three-year-old girl has earned her a stroke

A three-year-old girl suffered a stroke after the chickenpox virus narrowed the blood vessels in her brain.

Lottie Evans was staying in a caravan park in Abersoch, North Wales, with her family on July 26, 2016, when she became clumsy, irritable and unable to walk.

After being rushed to Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital, the doctors first diagnosed Bell's facial palsy – a temporary facial palsy – before tests revealed only his blood. had been cut to a part of his brain.

The doctors warned the young man that he probably would not be able to talk or walk again, but additional tests at the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool two weeks later revealed that she was on the right track to recover.

Now five years old, Lottie – of Warrington – looks like any other little girl despite a second shot.

Lottie Evans suffered a stroke while on vacation, caused by chicken pox. Photographed just three years old at the hospital after the ordeal, this caused paralysis on the right side of Lottie's face, as doctors feared never to speak or speak again.

On the photo in the hospital, Lottie's parents badumed that she was just tired when she became irritable and clumsy while she was in a caravan park in the north. from Wales. She had chickenpox three months ago

While they were on vacation, Lottie's parents began to worry when they noticed that their daughter was extremely quiet and dropped four glbades.

The young man – who had had chicken pox three months earlier – also refused to eat and continued to slide chairs on the floor.

Thinking that she was just tired, her parents put her in her buggy to sleep. But when she woke up, Lottie kept falling and could not even speak.

Despite her symptoms, Lottie's parents still did not think it was something serious and only took her to the hospital on the recommendations of her family. an ambulance attendant who had accompanied them.

The couple made the one hour trip to Bangor while their daughter was vomiting in the car.

Once there, they were told that Lottie was probably suffering from Bell's palsy, the young child having subsequently undergone two CT scans to confirm the diagnosis.

But it was a student nurse who was in the room who said that he had suffered a stroke.

The fears of his parents then worsened when a scanner confirmed the diagnosis.

Lottie's mother, Claire Marriott, said, "At the time, we did not think it was a stroke, because most people do not think that children can be victims.

"We asked if she would recover and they told us that she probably would not, which was devastating.

"Lottie could not walk or talk and had lost the use of her entire right side.

"We were told that the doctors had never heard of that one case where the person had fully recovered."

Now five years old, Lottie challenged the doctors who said that she would probably never recover. Only two weeks after the test, tests revealed that the young person was doing well. Although she still has mild facial paralysis and has trouble talking, her parents are convinced that her future is bright.

The next day, Lottie was transferred to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, where she stayed for two weeks.

Against all odds, his parents then learned that the young man would recover well in just 14 days.

"At that time, we received a ray of light," said Marriott.

"The doctors think the stroke was caused by chicken pox, which had narrowed Lottie's neck artery when she had had the virus three months earlier."

Every year, five out of every 100,000 children have a stroke in the UK. Research has shown that chicken pox can increase the risk of illness in young people.

According to the Stroke Association, the virus causing chickenpox would shrink the blood vessels in the head

A few years later, Lottie attended physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy treatments.

Despite all these efforts, she still suffers from facial paralysis and has trouble speaking but is gradually improving.

A routine MRI performed in January of last year even revealed that the youth had a second stroke, but no long-term effects.

She now takes an aspirin each day to reduce the risk of another episode.

Lottie was nominated for a Life After Stroke Award last month. She is photographed during the ceremony

To educate children about the disease, Lottie's parents created their own charity – Lottie & # 39; s Way.

"Despite all that we consider a blessing, many parents do not bring their children home from hospital after a pediatric stroke and, tragically, stroke is one of the top ten causes of death in children, "said Marriott.

"As a parent and faced with uncertainties about the future and the many questions, I turned to Google for help. What I have discovered is that there are no UK support groups for children. I ended up with many unanswered questions.

"I would like to tell Lottie's story to give other parents hope that even if a child is suffering from a pediatric stroke, there is sometimes a positive result in the child's life." hope we can give another parent who is undergoing what we have a little support. "

Last month, Lottie was commended for her courage after being nominated for a Life After Stroke Award.

Chris Larkin, director of Stroke Support – North, said: "A stroke occurs in an instant and often changes lives forever.

"Our regional event highlights the extraordinary courage of people like Lottie to rebuild their lives after a stroke or to help others do the same."