Charity builds dream wish for eight-year-old with rare condition

FENHAM girl Ruby-Leigh Paxton has been through “countless surgeries, procedures and hospital trips” to help deal with a rare health condition she was diagnosed with at birth.

- By SAM VOLPE

But the eight-year-old has now enjoyed a visit to somewhere very special instead thanks to Make-a-Wish UK and People’s Postcode Lottery: She’s been to Legoland with her brother Riley.

Little Ruby-Leigh was diagnosed with two conditions which affect her oesophagus - the “food pipe” that connects our throats to our digestive system - shortly after birth, like her older brother.

The conditions are called tracheal oesophageal fistula and oesophageal atresia. It’s a lifelong condition and is “corrective but not curable”

That means she will is likely to have to undergo gruelling operations to keep things right for the rest of her life.

But thanks to the charities, she was able to visit Legoland Windsor, where she had a fantastic time. Mum Rachel spoke about the diagnosis. She said: “When I tried to feed her it came back up in her mouth. Her brother has the same thing, so I knew what it was.