Conor Coyle
Wed, 17 April 2024
Rachel with some of the team at St Nicholas Children’s Hospital in Lviv -Credit:Submitted
A four-year-old girl from Co Down is home and recovering after an incredible journey travelling to war-torn Ukraine for life saving brain surgery.
The family of Rachel Gribben from Killyleagh had raised thousands in a desperate attempt to pay for a risky surgery to save her from daily epileptic seizures - wich were not able to be treated by medication.
The severe form of epilepsy led to serious development issues, Rachel being non verbal and gradually losing muscle tone in her legs., while she suffered several injuries to her body caused by falls as a result of seizures.
READ MORE: Family's desperate plea for surgery to save daughter, three, from rare form of epilepsy
Doctors in the UK were unwilling to chance the complex brain surgery Rachel needed, which involved removing part of the little girl’s brain.
After successfully raising the funds required to travel to Ukraine for the surgery, Rachel and her family travelled to a hospital in Lviv, a city in war-torn Ukraine.
Paediatric neurosurgeons at St Nicholas Children’s Hospital successfully removed part of the four-year-old girl’s brain to relieve her from the debilitating seizures. This was the hospital’s first treatment of a young patient from abroad.
Now seizure free in the four weeks since her surgery, Rachels’ mum Katie Jennings says her daughter is now going from strength to strength.
“Everything went fantastic, she had the surgery she should have had all along,” Katie told Belfast Live.
“She hasn’t had a seizure since and has been recovering really well, it’s just absolutely amazing.
“She is so happy now, you wouldn’t even think she has had brain surgery apart from her scar now.
“Rachel has just been taking it all in her stride, she is an amazing little girl.
“We are immensely proud of her.”
Describing conditions in western Ukraine, Katie said they had constant reminders of the ongoing war with Russia, but the treatment Rachel received was first class.
“Going to Ukraine was a scary prospect with the war going on and I would be lying if I said there wasn't moments when I wondered if I was doing the right thing.
Rachel Gribben recovering in hospital in Ukraine following her brain surgery -Credit:Family photo
“I’m the first to admit that I thought to myself - what have I done?
“There were air raid sirens going off while we were there, it was pretty surreal.
“But the team there constantly put us at ease and I can honestly say there wasn't a moment we didn't feel safe.
“Lviv is a beautiful city, with wonderfully kind and generous people. In the midst of all they are going through the people of Ukraine keep pushing, keep rebuilding and keep fighting in every way, true resilience.
“In all of this, these amazing people had the time to treat a little girl from Killyleagh, to give a little girl from Killyleagh a life to live.”
Paying tribute to the hundreds of people who donated to fundraising efforts for her daughter, Katie said they have given Rachel a second chance at life.
Rachel Gribben and her mum Katie Jennings at a fundraiser ahead of their trip to Ukraine -Credit:Submitted
She added: “Now we are home and getting settled we can concentrate on Rachel’s development, which is already coming on leaps and bounds after just three weeks.
“Without all those who supported the fundraisers, none of this would have been possible.
“Without all of you, the possibility of my daughter dying at some stage in her life was very high, now she can live and have a good life.
“She’s going to go to school, she’s going to be able to play in the park without fear of having a seizure.
“None of that would have been possible without any of that support.”
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