A five-year-old girl risks excruciating third degree burns from her own stomach acid every time she falls asleep. Lola Hardy-Williams from Rhyl was born prematurely with a birth defect that affects her whole body including her eyes, spine, and digestive system.
The condition, known as VACTERL, means little Lola was born without a food pipe and underwent life-saving surgery soon after she was born. As a newborn, she was at risk of drowning in her own stomach acid so surgeons were forced to create a hole in the side of her neck to drain the fluid, reports North Wales Live.
Whilst the operation saved Lola's life, it means she faces excruciating burns from her own stomach acid every time she lies flat. To avoid being burnt, Lola needed to sleep in a specialist hospital bed which costs £3,750. But with the rising cost of living and no funding available from their local authority, her devoted parents had no way to afford it.
