A MUM thought her young daughter was just tired from playing, only to later discover she was having a stroke.
“When the consultant said the word ‘stroke,’ my heart just stopped and thought I must have misheard," Holly Atkins recalled.
"She’s only six - how can a child so young have a stroke?"
The 34-year-old mum had taken her daughter Ottilie to a soft play centre in Hemel Hempstead town centre on October 13.
After 30 minutes of playing, the schoolgirl began to complain of feeling sick and dizzy.
Holly, a stay-at-home mum, thought Ottilie was just exhausted after running around and decided to cut short her shopping trip and head home.
“She looked pale, and clammy, and kept saying she felt dizzy,” Holly explained.
“I thought she’d overdone it.
"She’d been bouncing around with her sister, and it’s a small, warm soft play area, so I assumed it was nothing serious.
"I even got her to sit down and eat some sandwiches, and her colour seemed to come back. But she still said she felt strange.”
Holly, who is married to 36-year-old Phil Atkins, noticed something odd about Ottilie’s balance as they walked to the car.
“I held her hand, and she felt unsteady on her feet. But I still thought maybe she was just worn out,” she recalled.
At home, Ottilie rested and watched a film, but later that evening, things took a frightening turn.
“She suddenly said, ‘Mummy, I’ve got double vision—I can see things twice,’” Holly said.
“When I looked at her, it felt like her eyes weren’t aligned properly.
"One eye seemed to be rolling slightly, and I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
"I turned to Phil and said, ‘There’s something really not right here.’”
Holly decided to take Ottilie to Watford General Hospital’s A&E.
There, Ottilie underwent a barrage of tests, including an eye test, CT scan, blood tests, and two MRI scans.
Four days after being admitted, doctors delivered shocking news - Ottilie had suffered a stroke.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Holly said.
A stroke is when blood stops flowing to a part of your brain.
It can affect things like speech and movement, and take a long time to recover.
A stroke needs urgent medical help in hospital because it can be life-threatening.
Doctors explained that the stroke was likely caused by chickenpox Ottilie had contracted 18 months earlier.
The virus had reactivated in her system, leading to inflammation of the blood vessels in her brain, which restricted blood flow and triggered the stroke.
THERE are around 400 cases of childhood stroke every year, according to the Stroke Association.
The reasons for a stroke in babies and kids is likely to be different, depending on a child's age.
There are two types of stroke:
Both types are equally common in kids, but in adults 85 per cent of strokes are ischaemic.
Strokes in babies - during pregnancy and up to 28 days old - can be caused by blood clots breaking off from the placenta and lodging in a baby's brain.
Or it can be caused by a blood clotting disorder, either from mum or baby.
In kids from 29 days old to 18, strokes are caused by infectious diseases, trauma to the head or neck, vascular problems or blood disorders.
In many cases, there will be more than one contributing factor.
Signs your baby could be suffering a stroke, include:
If you're concerned about your baby seek medical help straight away
“I was stunned,” Holly said.
“Who would ever think chickenpox could come back like that? It’s terrifying to think something so common could cause something so serious.”
Ottilie spent three weeks in hospital undergoing treatment and receiving medication to reduce the swelling in her brain.
“Those weeks were so tough,” Holly said.
“At one point, we were allowed to take her home temporarily, but we had to keep going back to the ward every night for her medication.
"It was exhausting, but we were so relieved she was being looked after.”
Ottilie’s recovery has been remarkable.
While her eyesight remains affected, she still has double vision when looking to the right, her brain has started to adapt.
“Doctors said children’s brains can rewire themselves, which is why she’s made such amazing progress,” Holly said.
“She moves her head more now to counteract the double vision, and she’s learning to cope with it.”
Despite the ordeal, Holly feels grateful for the quick action she took.
“I’m so glad I trusted my instincts and took her to hospital,” she said.
“If we’d waited, it could have been so much worse.”
Now, Holly is determined to raise awareness of childhood strokes and the importance of acting quickly.
She’s urging parents to learn the signs and to always seek help if something feels off.
“Children can’t always explain what’s wrong, but as parents, we know when something isn’t right,” she said.
“Follow your gut.
"The BE FAST NHS campaign is a great tool: balance, eyes, face, arms, speech, and time are all key signs to watch for.”
Holly is also using her daughter’s experience to give back.
She is running 31km in December to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, which supported Ottilie during her recovery.
The mum's has so far raised £530.
Reflecting on the terrifying ordeal, Holly added: “Ottilie is doing so well now, and we’re so proud of her.
"It’s been a long journey, but she’s strong and resilient.
"I just want other parents to know that strokes can happen to anyone—even kids—and the quicker you act, the better the outcome.”
AN ITCHY and spotty rash is the most recognisable symptom of chickenpox.
The illness happens in three stages.
Before or after the rash appears, you might also get:
Chickenpox will usually get better by itself in one to two weeks without you needing see a GP.
But you should get advice from 111 if:
Chickenpox complications
Serious complications from chickenpox include:
Sources: NHS, CDC
