A Scots mum who was told that her little girl may 'never smile' has shared her joy as her tot now grins with happiness every day.
One-year-old Tilly Cranna, from Glass, Aberdeenshire was born prematurely in June 2020 and diagnosed with a brain injury at just two-weeks-old.
Then in May 2021, Tilly's mum Kerrie Baird, 30, was dealt a further blow when Tilly was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy a week before her first birthday.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Kerrie told how the devastating news left feeling completely overwhelmed as doctors predicted her young daughter may never eat, sit, talk or walk on her own and that is was highly possible she may never smile.
Kerry explained: "I had no idea that news was coming. I was alone at the time and it was the most horrible moment that I've ever had to live through.
"Her prematurity wasn't expected, the brain injury was certainly not expected and CP was a very difficult blow to accept.
"It was devastating. I almost went into shutdown. I found it really difficult to think about the fact she might never smile. I couldn't imagine it."
Tilly's condition and constant appointments mean day-to-day life can be long and frustrating for the family.
Kerrie added: "Tilly is an almost two-year old toddler trapped in the body of a six to nine month old baby.
"Her cognitive ability is there, but her physical ability is not.
"She's essentially stuck in her own body so it can be really heartbreaking sometimes."
But despite her challenges, the adorable tot is thriving in many ways and Kerrie has now revealed her joy as Tilly defies the odds in one very special way - by smiling all day, every day.
Kerrie said: "I remember the first time she smiled at me. She just smiled at me when I was just talking to her and I was just beaming and super, super proud.
“But I also just felt relief, like a massive weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.
"That's something the doctors said she might never do, but when you start to see a little bit of progress, it does paint a better picture in your head that everything just might turn out okay.
"Seeing her smile was part one of that process, so if she can hit one milestone then we can help her hit the rest."
Tilly's parents Kerrie and partner, Barry Cranna, 31, have been working tirelessly at their jobs and also tending to their own farm to pay for Tilly to have private therapy in a bid to help her reach her full potential.
She now sees a private paediatric physiotherapist, occupational therapist and movement therapist after the couple felt that NHS support for their daughter was limited.
Kerrie continued: "The NHS offer physiotherapy and occupational therapy, but the issue we have is that the sessions offered were occasional.
"We've been paying for private input and it's very expensive but we see massive improvements which makes it worth continuing.
"We just want Tilly to live a life with no limits and as be as independent as she can be."
Tilly also has a vocabulary of 30 words and enjoys repeating the name of her favourite cartoon character and saying hello to the chickens on the farm as they pass by the window.
Kerrie added: "We know Cerebral Palsy is a lifelong condition.
"It's not something that can be cured, although we can manage the symptoms with different therapies and medication.
"We're very passionate about Tilly having no limits, but we can't tell what the future is. The most difficult thing is the unknown."
Kerrie and Barry continue to research alternative therapies to ensure that they are doing the best for their daughter.
You can follow Tilly's journey on her Facebook page.
An NHS Grampian spokesperson said: "As a health board, we cannot comment on individual patient cases, but would strongly encourage Ms Baird to contact us regarding any concerns.
“When a patient, their parent or guardian, does make direct contact with us we are more than willing to discuss their case with them – including their diagnosis, treatment and any further care they received.”
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