Jessi Campbell: Little girl's brave battle after being born with 1kg cyst on her arm

Release time：2024-05-22 10:32:06 Source：Stellar Stories news portal

A little girl born with giant cyst on her arm is not letting her condition get the better of her.

Jessi Campbell, two, from Brisbane was born on August 28, 2021, with a lymphatic malformation on the left side of her body which doctors later diagnosed as Kippel Trelauney Syndrome when she was 11 months old.

Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome is a rare condition that causes overgrowths of soft tissue and bones, which has caused the one kilogram cyst to develop.

Jessi's parents, Amara and Jonathan Campbell, fear their daughter will be bullied over her condition when she eventually starts school. 

Ms Campbell, 34, said she has already overheard strangers call Jessi's growth 'disgusting' but that her and Mr Campbell simply remind their daughter that she is 'beautiful'.

Mr Campbell, 35, has also heard similar nasty comments and noticed that 'there's always people staring and looking at her hand'.

Jessi Campbell was born on August 28, 2021, with a lymphatic malformation which caused a one kilogram mass to develop on the left side of her body

Now two-years-old, Jessi is still undergoing treatment for her condition which doctors diagnosed as Kippel Trelauney Syndrome when she was 11-months-old

'Kids started pointing at her. We never tell her any bad things about her arm, we don't act repulsed or anything,' he said.

Jessi's parents hope that the arm will have shrunk by the time she reaches school age.

'I remember at the beginning we were told her arm will look somewhat normal by the time she starts school,' Mr Campbell said.

'We're looking forward to seeing that progress.'

Mr Campbell has been in an out of Brisbane Children Hospital for two and a half years with Jessi while doctors work to reduce the growth.

He has been documenting Jessi's journey via a GoFundMe page where people can help give his daughter a normal life.

The money raised will go towards Jessi's ongoing medical expenses and custom clothes.

Her mother Amara, 34, is a stay-at-home mum who cares for Jessi and tells her that she is beautiful 

Ms Campbell and her husband Jonathan are scared that their daughter will get bullied because of her condition 

Jessi's growth got so heavy that her spine started to curve by the time she turned two. 

So far she has undergone three rounds of sclerotherapy where doctors inject a solution into the area which makes the growth collapse and shrink.

Jessi is due for more rounds of the therapy before any shrinkage becomes visible but for now she is focusing on learning how to walk.

Mr Campbell said that the weight of Jessi's left arm changes 'almost every day' as the fluid inside moves around - something that is constantly throwing off her balance.

Doctors were able to diagnose Jessi with lymphatic malformation while she was still in the womb during Ms Campbell's 19-week scan.

When she was born Jessi weighed 7lbs 9oz and pockets of fluid covered her left arm, chest and hand. 

Jessi still frequents Brisbane Children Hospital as doctors work to remove the mass which is getting so heavy that her spine is starting to curve under the weight 

Ms Campbell said that despite her condition Jessi has no trouble playing with her older sister Sophie

'Her lump was bigger than we were expecting,' Mr Campbell said.

'It was a shock. It was really purple [and] confronting. I felt scared for her.'

Ms Campbell was not able to see her daughter for three days after losing three litres of blood during birth and Jessi stayed in Mater Children's Hospital for 10 days before she was finally able to go home.

'All the baby clothes we had didn't fit and we had to get custom made clothes for her,' Ms Campbell said.

Despite this, the condition has not stopped Jessi from playing with her sister even as she continues to struggle with her balance. 

'It took her a while to find her a balance for walking ... [but] she's so stubborn - she'll do anything,' Ms Campbell said.

To help improve Jessi's mobility, Ms Campbell said that she is undergoing  hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

Mr and Ms Campbell are hoping that doctors are able to get Jessi's arm fixed by the time she goes to school

Mr Campbell has been documenting Jessi's medical journey via a GoFundMe and is using the funds raised to pay for her medical bills and custom clothes 

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