Doncaster mum pleads for help to get daughter to walk again after surviving leukaemia

At the age of 12, Ellie Billington, from Doncaster, was unfortunately diagnosed with leukeamia.

After beginning treatment for her illness, Ellie began having reactions, in what was a very difficult time for Ellie and her family.

Marie Billington, Ellie’s mother, said: “A couple of weeks in she had severe reactions to the treatment. She started with glandular fever and she very ill and began acting really peculiar.

"They kept putting it down to steroids for the cancer, but after me pushing and pushing and pushing, it turned out she had an infarct in her brain – which was like a small blockage.

"She ended up a couple of days later having full-body seizures, which ended up in her having a massive brain bleed. For the next three weeks, she had three brain bleeds with the last being catastrophic.

"They told us that we had to say goodbye to her, she wasn’t going to make it – but she did make it, and she was called a ‘miracle’.”

After this, Ellie was left completely paralysed and unable to walk.

Now at the age of 20, Ellie can now move one side of her body, she can talk, and has completed her GCSEs and three college courses.

Ellie is now working on physio to help her walk again and get full use of her body back. So far, she is able to stand up again and is leading a ‘pretty normal life’ – however, Marie says the physio is still letting Ellie down.

"NHS physio’s have been appalling,” commented Marie. “We got Tickhill Road Hospital and they kept promising us that they would start her on all these things but they never have. It has just been atrocious.

"They were saying things like ‘she might need to get used to being in the chair’, as if, after all the fighting she has done, she doesn’t deserve a chance – what makes her different to all the other victims? She’s had all her teenage years took away from her, she wants to walk and live her life.”

After doing some research herself, Ellie found a physiotherapy in Leeds called ‘Motion Rehab’, and after an initial assessment it told Ellie that it could change her quality of life.

Marie applied for (Clinical Commissionining Group) CCG funding to pay for the physiotherapy but it was denied and a re-application takes a long time.

To try to raise funds to pay for physiotherapy and help Ellie walk again, Marie has began a GoFundMe appeal with a target of £6,800.

Marie has also organised a ‘big fun day’ with inflatables, live music, raffles, food vans, animals and lots more for the community on May 29 at Parklands to try to raise funds.

So far, she has raised enough to do eight sessions of physiotherapy – and four weeks in, Ellie can now stand up by the kitchen side and make a cup of tea.

"Can you imagine if I can raise money for the full things,” asked Marie.

"She (Ellie) is amazing – she has already proved everyone wrong and I know that she will walk given the opportunity.

To help Ellie walk again, donate to her GoFundMe appeal here.