Doctors said the little girl’s terrifying condition could have been caused by a common virus as she has been left unable to speak or stand after suffering a stroke at pre-school
A brave little girl was left unable to speak and stand after suffering a terrifying stroke at pre-school aged just four.
Teachers noticed something was wrong with Isla Parrott and quickly called an ambulance after she became unwell on January 22. The child was rushed to hospital where staff carried out an MRI scan and confirmed the four-year-old had suffered a stroke. Isla has remained in hospital since then and is undergoing intensive treatment at Addenbrooke’s, Cambridge.
The youngster is on multiple medications to manage inflammation and the risk of infection. Medics found dormant chickenpox virus in Isla’s system, which is believed to be the underlying trigger of the stroke.
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The virus is known to be linked to paediatric vasculopathy, which are disorders affecting the blood vessels, and strokes. Mum Kitty-Mae King, dad Dan Parrot, from Stowupland, in Suffolk, and other members of the family have been left in total disbelief.
Her aunt, Maddie King, 28, said: “My reaction was: ‘She’s four years old, what do you mean she had a stroke?’ None of us has really made sense of it. I’m still shocked and I feel absolutely awful about it all. It’s been by far the worst week of my life.
“Seeing a child who was once vibrant and constantly active, suddenly lose so much of herself, has been deeply heartbreaking. It’s been really distressing for her. We’re all so proud of her as she’s been so brave.”
The stroke affected the right side of Isla’s body, with movement and strength in her right hand particularly difficult. She has now started to walk again, despite being wobbly and exhausted, and treatment has left her feeling nauseous.
The family say that recovery is likely to be a long journey. The devastated family, in a fundraiser, revealed this horror incident happened just days before Isla’s mum was admitted to hospital herself and was still in doctors care when the four-year-old was brought in.
Kitty-Mae and Dan, 28, are unable to work while they look after Isla and try to keep life as normal as possible for her two sisters Ava, eight, and Raya, one. Maddie said that they have been overwhelmed by the support they have received, and have launched a GoFundMe to help with the financial pressure.
She said: “Life can be really hard and unfair. We didn’t expect to receive all these donations and it’s been lovely to see so many people support someone they don’t even know. Strokes in children are rare and support for families is extremely limited, so the costs can be scary and add up really quickly.”
Maddie also thanked Osier Cafe in Stowmarket for their help, after they provided lots of food to take to Isla and her family. Both Kitty-Mae and Dan hope to raise awareness that strokes can happen to children, regardless of their age.
Signs to look out for include sudden weakness on one side of the body, facial drooping, speech difficulties, and more. You can help support Isla’s recovery here: Donate to For Isla & the Road Ahead, organized by Maddie King
