Schoolgirl given devastating diagnosis after falling at pal's birthday party

11 July 2023 , 04:42

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Keavagh Moran (Image: Leeanne Taggart)

The parents of a six-year-old girl were left devastated after a fall at a friend's birthday party led to a devastating diagnosis.

Keavagh Moran was a healthy and active gymnast before she took a tumble in August last year. The youngster's parents initially thought nothing of it as she got straight back up and continued dancing.

The next day her knee had ballooned in size and she was rushed to A&E. Keavagh was examined by doctors and sent home with painkillers, but her pain began to worsen and just six weeks later she was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JAI).

The autoimmune disease causes issues with the joints and if left untreated, can lead to glaucoma and blindness, reports Daily Record.

Mum Leeanne Taggart, from Cardonald, said: "When Keavagh woke up the morning after the party, she was complaining of a sore knee - it was so swollen that you couldn't actually see the kneecap."

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For the next six weeks, Keavagh went back and forth to hospital as her pain continued to worsen. Eventually she struggled to walk properly and was unable to attend school.

Keavagh with mum Leeanne, dad Andrew and brother Jayden (Leeanne Taggart)

Keavagh at home (Leeanne Taggart)

She was given a rheumatology appointment in October, where she was diagnosed with JAI.

Leeanne said: "It was horrific. I had never heard of it before and had so many questions. How do you come to terms with your six-year-old daughter having arthritis? It was horrible."

Little Keavagh, who loves dancing, gymnastics and swimming, now requires daily medication.

She was referred to Edinburgh's Royal Hospital for Children and Young People where she was given steroid injections to her knees and ankles. She also started on weekly methotrexate injections at home, but soon started refusing treatment.

Leeanne continued: "At first she was quite accepting of injections, but then out of nowhere it became absolutely horrendous and it could take up to two hours. She would be running, hiding under beds, screaming, crying, hitting out - it was just horrible."

Keavagh always gets a hot chocolate before her treatment at hospital (Leeanne Taggart)

"Now she's starting to understand that this is what she has to do so she can keep going to dancing and doing gymnastics."

Keavagh has since been switched over to a new medication and is doing much better. She also receives infusions at the Royal Hospital for Children every six months to hopefully prevent her from developing glaucoma and problems with her eyesight.

Leanne added: "She is a very active wee girl, so seeing her so unwell, it was hard. Keavagh lost a lot of weight and a lot of muscle but she has worked really hard on her physio exercises to build it back up again."

"There is still the possibility that she could have flare-ups, but we just need to take each day as it comes.

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Keavagh with her older brother Jayden (Leeanne Taggart)

The six-year-old was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis last October (Leeanne Taggart)

"She was lucky she had the fall when she did because now she has a diagnosis. It could have gone on for longer and her symptoms would have been worse by then.

“At the moment she is still able to go to her classes and lead the life that she had prior to the diagnosis.

"If you have any concerns, if your child has any swelling of the joints, is struggling to walk or hold a pencil properly, anything at all, get checked."

Hannah Mackenzie Wood