The toddler turned into a “newborn baby” as an illness caused her brain to swell

Lexie Forsyth’s parents said the rare mysterious condition left their daughter like “a newborn baby” unable to speak, walk or support herself

The parents of a four-year-old girl said a mysterious brain disorder left her “like a newborn baby again”.

Lexie Forsyth, from Inverness, is like any other toddler and loves to play with her friends, but seven months ago she began developing a mysterious illness.

The condition has caused her brain to swell, leaving her unable to speak, walk or support herself, according to the Daily Record daily record reports.

Her parents, Emilia Blanaru and Mark Forsyth, who have split, have even described how the devastating illness is making their daughter “a newborn baby again.”

Nonetheless, after months of therapy and an incredible 117 days in the hospital, tough Lexie has fought back the disease.

She has amazed medics and is now able to make the 10-minute walk to daycare – something her parents feared would never happen.

Doctors cannot say if she will make a full recovery and she still uses a wheelchair for long distances.

But Emilia said: “Like a baby, she had to learn everything all over again. We had to lift her up, she could not walk, sit or feed herself.

“We had to put them back in diapers.

“But she never gave up. We take it little by little every day.”

Lexie, who lives in Inverness with her mother and brother Daniel, two, was named Brave Child of the Year at a Highland Heroes awards ceremony.

Her proud grandmother, Alison Canavan, nominated her after watching Lexie battle every obstacle with her infectious smile.

Emilia said: “She’s a happy girl and she’s always smiling.”

The family’s ordeal began when Lexie became ill last summer and began throwing up and having seizures.

Doctors initially attributed her symptoms to a viral infection, but her condition worsened and she went into a coma for seven days.

After two months, they confirmed that Lexie was affected by a rare inflammation of the brain called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM).

Get the stories you want, straight to your inbox. Register for one of the Spiegel newsletters

Mark, from Thurso, Caithness, said: “The way you explained it, her body was fighting the virus and accidentally attacking her brain.”

Lexie had months of speech therapy and physical therapy. After four months she was able to walk without help and is happy to be back in daycare. But what the future will bring, doctors cannot predict.

Emilia added: “We’ll just have to wait and see. One – she’s stubborn, she never gives up.”