A mum has revealed the heartbreaking ordeal faced after her little girl suffered a stroke following life-saving surgery – now she’s unable to walk, talk or swallow.
Amelia Robb has battled for her life from even before she was born.
The 12-year-old was diagnosed with hypoplastic left ventricle – where the lower pumping chamber of the heart doesn’t develop – and transverse of the great arteries; a mirror development of the main blood vessels in the body.
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Her mum, Candace Flint, 39, was given an ultimatum – either terminate the pregnancy or risk losing her baby before their first birthday.
Amelia was given a chance and thrived after undergoing intense treatment – but recently, two more diseases have emerged.
Now, the little girl has been left fighting for her life once again after suffering from a stroke that has left her unable to walk, talk or swallow.
“I just keep thinking, what more do we have to deal with before we can really enjoy life?” the beauty therapist told Need To Know.
“When I found out about her initial diagnosis, I was in complete and utter shock.
“I kept wondering what I had done so wrong to be going through this, let alone during my first pregnancy.
“But Amelia is no quitter and has the biggest fight in her.
“Up until now, she’s been doing well in school, has a great group of friends and loves riding her bike, as well as playing with Lego.
“Over the years, we’ve coped in the only way we knew how; taking each day as it came and always looking for the positive in every negative.
“But we didn’t think the negatives would hit us so hard again – it’s so hard and emotionally draining.”
Amelia, from Perth, Western Australia, who also suffers from asplenia – the absence of the spleen – underwent two open-heart surgery before the age of one, and again at five.
Luckily, they were a success, and Candace says her little girl quickly turned into a “super vibrant” person with a caring heart.
The family faced another heartbreaking feat when sister Indie, now eight, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
However, as of 2020, both children appeared to have recovered and they began to enjoy life; going on holidays and also having game nights.
But in June 2024, Amelia started experiencing stomach pain and bouts of diarrhoea.
It was discovered she has protein-losing enteropathy, a gastrointestinal condition which can be fatal, and fontan-associated liver disease.
While successful surgery was carried out, Amelia took a turn during recovery and suffered the aforementioned stroke.
Candace said: “I’m frustrated that my baby girl has had to face more than any other child has ever had to.
“A week after surgery, we were looking at coming home, but her headaches were getting so terrible to the point she thought her head would explode.
“Her body felt numb, she had blurred vision, as well as slurred speech and a few seizures.
“Then she had a stroke, where a scan found a clot and two bleeds on the brain.
“It all happened so fast – I really thought I was going to lose her this time.”
While it’s unclear what caused the decline, a craniectomy was carried out, which includes removing part of the skull to ease any swelling.
Currently, she’s doing intense physiotherapy to help build up her strength, as well as relearning basic functions.
As the family have had to put their lives on hold, including giving up work, a GoFundMe has been set up – with $16,680 (AUD) (£8,619) raised out of $20,000 (AUD) (£10,000) so far.
For now, they are remaining hopeful that a full recovery will happen.
Candace added: “It’s taken a huge toll on myself and the family mentally.
“And it’s so stressful with our relationships, with myself and my husband finding it hard to connect.
“The bills are never-ending, but our friends have been helping us out with everything to let us be present as a family.
“There is always the worry that Amelia may have another brain bleed, but we can’t think like that.
“We’re trying to remain happy and keep thinking about the positives.
“Mothers will always know when something more is going on with their children – always trust that gut instinct.
“It could be a matter of life or death.”
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