Seeing your child die in front of you and not being able to stop it is every parent’s worst nightmare and it hit Gabrielle Green from Beeston.
Her daughter Kadiee grew up like any other happy young girl, but two years ago Gabrielle noticed that she had difficulty getting up after falling. She didn’t think about it too much, but over the next week Kadiee became more wobbly, “stumbling through the air.” Their GP said she was probably just a clumsy child, but she kept deteriorating.
Kadiee misjudged the sidewalks and struggled with the steps one morning she couldn’t remember how to put on her rubber boots. Gabrielle had to use a pram to take Kadiee to school, so that she wouldn’t fall and hurt herself along the way.
Eventually, they saw another GP who referred Kadiee to LGI where she was kept overnight for an urgent MRI. The diagnosis was leukodystrophy – a reduction of white matter in the brain. After more testing, the disease was diagnosed more accurately as Batten disease – a fatal disease of the nervous system.
Gabrielle explained:
“Since this hospital stay, she has not been able to walk, she has lost most of the mobility of her arms …
As if that weren’t enough, Gabrielle learned that the disease is genetic and that her son Keeton also has a one in four chance of developing it.
The family know their time with Kadiee is limited and now want to create as many memories as possible to make sure Kadiee is never forgotten. They set up a fundraising Facebook group: Kadiee Doo’s fundraiser.
The community rallied to their support with donations and fundraising initiatives, including a dance party for kids at Eiger Studios on July 4, 2021 and a football match between Garden Gate FC and Belle Isle WMC on 1st of August.
“Despite everything she’s been through and will be going through,†Gabrielle said, “she’s still the happy little princess she always was. She takes it all in her stride. She’s braver than I could ever be. be and I am so grateful that she is mine.
