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Doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital, London have given Amber Sisson a 10-year-old girl her smile back after a life-changing brain operation just in time for Christmas.
Amber suffers from a rare genetic disorder that causes contortions and involuntary movements. The condition, known as Hallervorden-Spatz disease, is progressive and crippling.
Just over two weeks ago Amber's body was in a state of permanent spasm. Her head was thrown back and her face distorted, turning smiles into grimaces.
When she tried to move, her arms would flail, causing her to strike her forehead repeatedly. She could not stand on her own, speak coherently, dress or feed herself.
But Amber was suitable for a radical form of treatment known as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).
Already used to help sufferers of Parkinson's disease, it involves inserting electrodes deep into the brain.
A small current delivered through wires hidden under the skin effectively jams unwanted brain signals to stop the spasms.
Three days after the operation, Amber had undergone a transformation which astonished the medical team caring for her at the hospital and delighted her parents.
Speaking at the new Evelina Children's Hospital at St Thomas's, her mother, Amanda, 34, from Nottingham, said: "Amber has always been such a happy little girl and so fun loving. She used to go to ballet school and swim, and she loves to draw and paint.
"When this happened we were absolutely heartbroken, devastated. But we just had to accept it and carry on, and be strong for her.
"Now she can paint pictures, sit up in bed, put her socks on, and feed herself. It's fantastic, a miracle - the best Christmas present I've ever had. I don't want anything else, ever".
Dr Jean-Pierre Lin, the paediatric neurologist in charge of Amber's treatment, was amazed at the success of the operation.
"I think it's spectacular," he said. "It's not miraculous, because it's the result of human intervention and ingenuity, but it is very dramatic. This is a very early beginning, but a very promising start. It's more than we had hoped for”.
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