Just for Jessica

Jessica Rose Watt

Jessica is a very special little girl who captures the hearts of everyone she meets. It is with her great determination and the support from all her family, the NHS and other carers that she has come as far as she has.

Shortly after birth in October 2009 Jessica was taken to Ipswich Hospital's Special Care Baby Unit weighing just 3lb 9oz. She was treated for meningitis. Jessica needed help with breathing and was fed by nasogastric tube. Over the course of Jessica's short life she has undergone numerous invasive tests, operations and hospital appointments, more than we care to remember. We have yet to receive a diagnosis for Jessica's condition but she was found to have severe learning disabilities, sensory and feeding difficulties, joint hyper-mobility affecting her whole body and a hole in her heart.

Jessica has continued to have severe feeding problems and after a couple of admissions to hospital is now gastrostomy fed (a tube straight into her tummy). She is unable to communicate verbally or stand/walk unaided. After a recent admission to St Thomas Hospital in London, Jessica has undergone surgery to repair the hole in her heart. To our delight Jessica has overcome this amazingly well and is gaining in strength.

Now aged five, Jessica's lack of mobility is becoming a strain, particularly on her mum who lifts her most of the time. The physical needs of a disabled child can be very tiring, together with Jessica's complex emotional needs which can be challenging. Because of a lack of diagnosis and prognosis, funding can be difficult for specialist equipment to help Jessica to live as normal a life as possible, e.g. getting upstairs and in and out of the bath. Jessica has wide ranging needs and in the future our home will need major adaptions.

Thank you for reading Jessica's story and please donate whatever you can to her fund. All donations are very much appreciated.