Baby Emily Norris, 2 years old, currently lives in Bowthorpe, Norwich, England. At birth, Emily had a rare condition affecting her lungs that required surgery to remove most of her lungs. Up to now, Emily is still alive and well, although doctors say the disease has affected her kidneys and most likely Emily will have to have her kidney removed.
In 2012, at birth, Emily was found to have a chest infection that required emergency surgery. After two years, Emily’s mother was extremely happy to see that her daughter was developing normally. Even Emily just started her first day at Costessay Preschool, Norwich.
Emily’s mother, Nicki Pybus, 26, first learned of the fetal complication at 20 weeks pregnant. Doctors discovered a major problem with the baby’s lungs and advised Ms. Pybus to have an abortion. However, Sister Pybus decided to keep the baby.
At birth, Emily was able to breathe normally and had no significant complications. However, just 4 months later, Emily got an infection and had to go to the emergency room. Doctors said Emily had a cyst that had spread to 70% of her lungs. Emily was hospitalized locally for two and a half weeks and then the hospital sent her home.
The cyst was growing so fast, Emily needed to have the cyst removed from her lungs. She was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, a world-renowned hospital. There, doctors operated to remove the cyst, which accounts for about 70% of Emily’s lungs.
For two weeks, Sister Pybus had to leave her two sons at home to go to London. An organization called “Faith of Sick Children” arranged for Ms. Pybus to stay near the hospital so that the young mother could be with her daughter, fighting the disease with her daughter.
Although the cystic tumor on Emily’s lung was detected early and removed, the tumor spreading to the kidney was only found recently. This news brought Emily’s family to the brink of collapse. “My daughter will have to have her kidney removed,” says Sister Pybus . The doctors said they had seen Emily’s case before, but they had never seen two cysts in the same person.”
Even so, Emily is still cheerful and happy with her life. I always smile with the doctors and nurses at the hospital. Sister Pybus: “Emily is breathing normally and we will have to monitor her as she becomes more active. However, by the time my daughter goes to high school, her lungs will be working properly.”
