Delighted Laura Dearden, 28, said that the first 18 months of little Savannah’s life has been a ‘roller coaster ride’ after her baby’s spasms turned out to be a rare brain disorder.
The tot was suffering from sudden infantile spasms when she was just a few months old after being born ‘completely healthy’.
An MRI scan in Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital in July last year revealed that the tot had lissencephaly, a rare condition that tragically causes many children to die before turning 10.
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The condition means that the surface of the brain is smooth instead of ridged which causes significant developmental delays.
The 18-month-old baby is likely to remain at the developmental stage of a five-month-old and doctors warned parents Laura and Johnathan Mould, 36, that she may never learn to walk, talk or crawl.
But tiny Savannah, who was born weighing just 5lbs 3oz at full term, has defied the odds and took her first miraculous steps using a stander on April 1.
Laura, from Blackpool, Lancs., said: “She’s my little fighter and I couldn’t be prouder of her.
“Seeing her do the things she’s not meant to do, I’m so proud. It’s something we can work towards. Hopefully she will keep defying the odds.
“She’s been such a little fighter from day one. She’s so stubborn, which must be from her dad’s DNA.
“Even at hospital when she’s getting poked at, dozen doctors surrounding her, she’s just unphased. For such a little, delicate thing she’s a warrior.
“And she inspires me. If she can do it, we can do it.”
Laura said that coming to terms with her daughter’s condition has been a nightmare, but the family are pulling through as they are ‘not prepared to give up on her’.
The carer said: “When she was born we had no idea she would have a brain condition. She was a completely normal baby.
“Getting the diagnosis was a massive kick in the teeth.
“They told us she wouldn’t walk, or meet any of the milestones.
“Most kids don’t live past 10. Which was another nice fact they flung at us.
“Savannah is my first child, so it made it so hard for us to just get to terms with it.
“I had all of these plans we were going to do or what she might do, who she would be, and it all got smashed to pieces.
“But we’re not prepared to give up on her.”
Laura said little Savannah will have to undergo years of physiotherapy but the goal is for her to be able to walk on her own.
She was sent a video of Savannah taking her first steps which left her ‘crying my eyes out’ as she was overwhelmed with joy.
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She said: “Seeing Savannah taking those steps left me in an emotional wreck. I was at work, and I was sent the videos of her and I was crying my eyes out.
“We are trying to manage our expectations, as it’s difficult to keep getting your hopes up only for them to be crushed, but to see her with her feet doing what they’re meant to do was amazing.
“To be told she wouldn’t be able to, but to see that she’s trying to do it.
“Her brain is making those connections, it’s beautiful. It’s a glimmer of hope we can hold on to.”
The family said they will be taking it day by day, and are hoping to move into a bigger home so they can accommodate Savannah’s needs.