A little girl who was unable to smile due to agonising eczema has been given her childhood back after going through a pioneering drug trial.
Little Hollie Wilcock has suffered from painful skin infections ever since she was a toddler.
It means that she’s been in and out of hospital for the majority of her life.
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The cause? Eczema; of which got so bad, her skin used to crack and bleed to the point that the 10-year-old was unable to smile.
But now, after three years, her life has been transformed after taking part in a clinical trial for an undisclosed drug.
“It’s changed our lives,” Hollie’s dad, Liam, 33, from Sheffield, told Need To Know.
“Hollie’s skin is so much better.
“She’s able to do all the things any 10-year-old should be doing; it’s given her childhood back.
“We are so blessed this trial was available to us.
“She’s a brand new girl who always has a smile on her face.
“And she’s back to taking part in all the activities she loves.”
Hollie’s battle with the skin condition, which affects one in every five children, began with dry skin that gradually got worse.
Beckii, Hollie’s mum, aged 35, said: “It has been absolutely horrendous.
“She couldn’t wear dresses or t-shirts as she needed to keep her skin covered because it was so sore.
“In the winter, her skin would crack so much that walking was difficult.
“She was in agony.
“As well as the pain, it affected her confidence.
“The eczema on her face made her self-conscious.
“Sometimes, other children would be mean about the way she looked.
“I had to bandage her fingers one by one when her skin was really bad and they’d call her a boxer or a mummy.
“When it was on her face, people would say she had dirt on her or that she was covered in chocolate because it was around her mouth.
“Hollie would get really upset and refuse to go to school.
“It was heartbreaking for us to watch her struggling.
“She’s such a positive and happy girl, but it did get her down – how could it not?
“Luckily, as she’s gotten older, she’s educated people, including her class and teachers, so they have a better understanding of what she is going through.”
Liam, who works in sales, said: “It was relentless.
“At one point, she ended up in hospital for 10 days with septicaemia.
“She was so poorly that we thought we might lose her.”
Hollie’s parents had tried methods such as different moisturisers, steroid creams, bandage wrapping and wearing gloves in a bid to get her skin under control.
But after little to no success, they were referred to specialist dermatologists at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.
While there, they were told about a clinical research trial for a new drug.
It involved fortnightly injections that can be given at home.
The drug type, known as biologics, tackles the underlying disease process and lowers inflammation.
Hollie began treatment in September 2023 and ended in December 2025.
Professor Mike Cork, who worked with Hollie, said: “We are incredibly proud that through research we can offer hope, access to pioneering treatments and the chance for children to simply enjoy being children again.”
Hollie said: “I was so scared at first because I don’t like needles.
“But now, I’m much happier and I can enjoy my life without being in pain all the time.
“I used to get upset, because I couldn’t wear a dress without leggings or tights on underneath, since I used to scratch my skin all the time.
“On hot days, this wasn’t fun.
“I can wear a dress properly now.
“I love dressing up and singing, and dancing with my sister.
“I can do all of this without pain.
“I love my life now.”
Beckii, a teaching assistant, added: “I can’t put into words just how much this trial has changed Hollie’s, and our, lives.
“She is a different child.
“To think of what Hollie was like before the trial and afterwards, it’s saved her life.
“She still has flare-ups, but not as bad.
“And she doesn’t get skin infections anymore.
“So we’re able to enjoy our family time – and she can enjoy her childhood.
“She sleeps better, doesn’t have to be bandage wrapped from head-to-toe or soak in the bathtub in oils every night.
“It’s just amazing to see Hollie happy and living life to its fullest.”
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