A teenage dancer was left paralysed and unable to communicate after what she thought was a common bug turned out to be a catastrophic brain bleed.
The deadly problem often has no early warning signs — apart from subtle symptoms that are easily mistaken for other, minor problems like a cold.
When the bleed was eventually spotted, Ellie Morris-Davies, then 15, was forced to undergo nine life-saving brain surgeries, including one that involved removing part of her skull.
So brutal was the series of operations she was left paralysed and unable to talk and eat.
Recalling the ordeal, her mother, Joanne Morris-Davies, 48, from Crewe, said the first sign something was wrong was similar to that seen with a ‘bad migraine’.
It began in May 2024, when Ellie complained of persistent headaches that came with a sensitivity to the light.
The family initially assumed she had a sickness bug, as she was also suffering nausea, but within a week it became clear something more serious was at play.
Ellie was taken to hospital when she started to vomit alarmingly frequently — around 16 times a day.
Ellie Morris Davies had to undergo nine life-saving operations to repair damage caused by a deadly cavernoma
Doctors performed blood tests and an MRI scan of Ellie’s brain before discovering a bleed caused by a cavernoma — a cluster of abnormal vessels filled with blood in the brain.
The condition does not always cause symptoms, but when it does they can include seizures, headaches and other neurological problems such as dizziness and slurred speech.
The most serious risk is rupture of one of the blood vessels that causes a major bleed, medically known as hemorrhage.
This can lead to deadly strokes and life-long brain damage.
According to the NHS, about one in every 600 people in the UK is living with symptomless cavernoma.
The condition usually develops between the ages of 20 and 40 and it can sometimes run in families.
‘I’d never heard of cavernomas,’ said Mrs Morris-Davies. ‘When we went to A&E I was just hoping it was just a bad migraine.
‘We didn’t know how long it had been there, they said they thought it had been there a while.’
Ellie was transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool where she underwent surgery.
The teenager’s goal is to return to the stage, having performed in West End shows
Ellie’s neurosurgeon described her as a ‘head strong’ and ‘cool’ girl who is ‘full of life’.
However, the risk of further bleeds remained high, so surgeons performed a decompressive craniectomy.
This involves removing part of the skull to relieve pressure and storing it in the patient’s own stomach in order to keep it sterile before it can be reinserted.
After the surgery she wasn’t talking,’ recalled Mrs Morris-Davies. ‘Taylor Swift was playing in Liverpool and the nurses were playing her songs on her iPad.
‘She was trying to do a little jiggle in the bed. I knew she was still Ellie.’
Despite the life-saving procedure, Ellie deteriorated further and was rushed to intensive care.
Overall, she had nine surgeries in the space of 13 weeks to repair damage that had been caused by the cavernoma.
During that time she’d also contracted rare and dangerous infections.
Recovery involved daily physiotherapy to help her relearn to walk, talk and swallow, according to her paediatric neurosurgeon, Dr Benedetta Pettorini.
According to the NHS, about one in every 600 people in the UK is living with symptomless cavernoma. The most serious risk is sudden bleeding in the brain, which can lead to stroke
‘It was after seven weeks of not walking she had a bit of movement in her leg,’ said Dr Pettorini.
‘Her digits and fingers have been the last to get going.
‘She’s quite a headstrong, driven kid. We’re just now working on physio relentlessly.’
Today, she has made impressive progress, and can now walk, talk and eat again — although there are still ‘things she can’t do’.
The teen has even returned to dance classes, having performed in pantomimes and West End shows since she was three.
Ellie recently returned to the stage to sing in a show with her dance class, which her mum described as an ’emotional night’.
Ellie added: ‘At one point, I thought I would never go home. But the staff on ward 4A really looked after me and kept my spirits up.
‘There are still things I can’t do, and it’s frustrating, but I know I’ll get there.
‘I can’t wait to be back on stage, singing and dancing.’
Ellie’s friends are now fundraising to secure her a spot on an intense therapy programme in London this summer.
Miss Pettorini added: ‘Ellie is the coolest girl. Literally, she’s full of life. It was a privilege to look after her.’
