Ellie was our wee warrior, she went through so much

Joyful memory of 20 months and 5 days with precious girl

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First-time parents Chloe and Chris Smith were able to make special memories with their precious baby girl after she was diagnosed with a rare disorder while just over two months old.

The couple were looking forward to becoming a family of three but had no idea they would soon be given the devastating news that Ellie had Miller-Dieker syndrome, a cruel, rare condition which caused the surface of her brain to be completely smooth.

It meant she would suffer from seizures, developmental delay, weak muscle tone and even struggle to swallow or breathe.

Chloe said: "My pregnancy was amazing - it was absolutely perfect. I loved being pregnant, everything went so smoothly.

"I did need extra scans because they thought there was an issue with the baby's heart. But everything came back fine and the baby was very active so we weren't worried."

However, when Chloe was 38 weeks pregnant, her midwife was concerned that her bump looked small and she was sent for a further scan.

Following the scan, they were told there was fluid on the baby's brain and they wanted to induce Chloe as soon as possible.

The couple welcomed little Ellie Brianna Smith into the world on March 4, 2021 at 11.13am.

Although the birth had gone well, Ellie was only 5lb 6oz and she was taken for an ultrasound of her brain because of the fluid that had been found there before she was born.

Chloe and Chris were then told Ellie was going to be referred to Glasgow's Children's Hospital for further tests.

Chloe said: "Ellie seemed totally fine, she was small and a bit quiet, but she was such a happy and contented wee baby.

"When we took her home, we weren't too worried because she seemed absolutely perfect."

When Ellie was eight weeks old, the tests revealed their little baby had a rare brain disorder, called lissencephaly, which causes whole or parts of the surface of the brain to appear smooth.