A family's dream holiday in Fiji turned into a nightmare when their 10-year-old girl developed a rare infection between the toes of her right foot after getting a blister from her flip-flops.
Australian Bella, 10, got a normal blister after a day at the beach and the minor injury seemed harmless, but now she is mainly bedridden and sometimes using a wheelchair to get around.
“We treated the infection but what we noticed is the foot swelled up and went really red, it was really obvious that something else was going on,” Emma told 7NEWS.com.au.
The 10-year-old was in extreme pain which went all the way from her foot up to her right leg and groin which is when her parents sounded the alarm.
She was admitted to a hospital in Fiji but then the family cut their holiday short and went back to Australia to seek further medical care there.
She was treated with strong antibiotics through an IV. However, nothing seemed to alleviate the pain. The young girl spent days having X-rays, ultrasounds and blood tests before getting a rare diagnosis.
She was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a rare neurological disorder that's often considered one of the most painful conditions in the world.
"When we got the diagnosis, we didn’t know enough about it. We got, you know, really sympathetic looks from the doctors,” Emma said.
She continued: "We were told that because of Bella’s age and early diagnosis, outcomes can be much, much better, but once we looked into it and connected to other families, you know, the worry grew."
The NHS describes CRPS as "a poorly understood condition where a person experiences persistent severe and debilitating pain."
It said most cases are triggered by an injury, and the resulting pain is much more severe and long-lasting than normal. CRPS often gradually improves over time, but some people with CRPS experience pain for many years.
Bella has developed hypersensitivity in her leg, meaning even the most gentle touch is excruciating.
“She can’t wear pants, she can’t put a blanket over (her leg), so she can’t go outside. It’s really, really debilitating,” Emma said.
Bella doesn’t understand what’s happened to her and travel costs, the continued treatment is expected to cost more than $235,000 (£123,000).
A fundraiser has been set up to help the family, with $140,000 raised so far.
Emma said the response to the GoFundMe has been “incredible”.
