July 2010, Eleanor Rose Blinstone was born. She was a very, very poorly little girl, Doctors didn’t know if she would live or die, and if she did survive, the outlook wasn’t good. She had suffered a ‘Basilar Artery Thrombosis’ causing a spell in ITU and a further spell on the wards. 10 Days after discharge she was back in hospital with suspected meningitis. 3 ½ years later, Christmas 2013, she had amazed all the consultants, one calling her a ‘Miracle’ she had been discharged from most them (four different consultants) she then contracted tonsillitis. Christmas was spent back in Sheffield Children’s Hospital having suffered a rare reaction to the infection, resulting in Encephalitis (Inflammation of the brain) which manifested in total paralysis of the RH side of her body and severe damage to the LH side of her brain and the part that controls speech. Since then numerous different tests & treatments. Her formal diagnosis is ‘Auto-immune limbic encephalitis, she has severely raised levels of antibodies in her ‘Voltage-gated potassium channels’. If she gets an infection there is a chance that her antibodies will ‘fight’ her brain after fighting whatever infection she has. Several different treatments, both as out & inpatient at Sheffield along with a number of operations but, so far, no effect. To top it off she has also been diagnosed with epilepsy and is on medication to try and control her seizures. Unfortunately, as a growing child this is a constantly changing picture and the seizures remain frequent. She has a large number of regular appointments, from physio & occupational therapy; speech & language therapy; neuropsychologists; neurology & ophthalmology testing, reviews & consultancy; blood testing; epilepsy reviews; and the regional brain injuries coordinator, along with school and home life. She has now been referred to the Children’s hospitals in London. The risk remains that if she gets a minor infection it could have very serious consequences for her.