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Elgin girl who spent much of S1 hospitalised with rare condition starts S2

Lucy Stewart struggles to breathe and is susceptible to pneumonia and chest infections, but is determined not to miss the first day back at school.

After a rough year, Lucy Stewart can't wait to get back to school at Elgin Academy. Image: Claire Stewart
After a rough year, Lucy Stewart can't wait to get back to school at Elgin Academy. Image: Claire Stewart

An Elgin girl with a rare condition who missed five months of S1 is hoping for better luck as she starts S2 today.

Lucy Stewart was born with Tracheo-oesophageal Fistula and Oesophageal Atresia.

Her food pipe wasn’t connected to the stomach, and her windpipe was instead connected to the food pipe, which put her health at risk from the day she was born.

At just one day old, Lucy underwent a major operation to correct the connections but even with them fixed, she still has ongoing health issues.

She struggles to breathe and is susceptible to pneumonia and chest infections. She has undergone countless surgeries to try and alleviate her difficulties.

Lucy missed half of first year at Elgin Academy, an improvement on previous years…

Lucy, 13, missed a huge chunk of her first year at Elgin Academy, being stuck at home – and in and out of hospital – from November to March.

Which was still an improvement on some previous years – in Primary Five she only managed to attend on the first and last day of the school year.

As luck would have it, Lucy is currently on antibiotics, but is determined not to miss the first day back at school.

Lucy spent her first year at Elgin Academy in and out of hospital… Image: Claire Stewart

Mum Claire told The P&J: “She’s actually got a chest infection just now and is on antibiotics.

“But she’ll be at school on Tuesday – she’s determined about that. ‘I’ve missed enough,’ she says.

“She really enjoys school, and doesn’t want to be different.

“So she tries to push herself to go. But sometimes pushing doesn’t help. Sometimes she’ll go to school and then that night and the next day she’s just totally shattered and can’t get out of bed.”

Winter struggles for Lucy and her family

An optimistic start to the school year, followed by setbacks during winter, has sadly been a feature of Lucy’s schooling.

“The pattern is that she’s fine during the summer,” said Claire, “but then the winter comes and with it all the problems.

“Usually she ends up getting a chest infection. With most people they’d just take antibiotics and it would go away. But Lucy’s doesn’t do that, it likes to hang around as long as it can. And then it can bring another one along.

“She gets issues with her bowel as well, but her chest seems to be the main thing.

“That October to March period is just a nightmare, every single year we can count on it.

“It was particularly unfortunate last year with her starting secondary school.

“She did sometimes try to go into school for a half day but she was just so tired and lethargic.

…but is heading back to school today. Image: Claire Stewart

“But she’s done her best to keep up both socially and academically.

“She’s got a good group of friends who have kept in touch and kept her in the loop.

“A teacher would come and visit her in the hospital, and she got schoolwork to do at home when she was able to.

“Lucy’s situation was new for the school in First Year. They didn’t want to put pressure on her by sending her work. But Lucy was like ‘I can do it, I want to do work, I want to get stuff done’.”

Lucy wants to give back to those who have helped her

Lucy has spend long periods of her life at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital. Indeed, her family now see the accommodation offered by The Archie Foundation as their “home away from home”.

Now Lucy is preparing, in her own special way, to thank those who have helped her.

She is combining her love of ice hockey with her desire to give back – by organising a match between the RAF Lossiemouth Jets and Aberdeen Predators at Aberdeen’s Linx Ice Arena.

Money from the August 28 match will go to Archie. And big-hearted Lucy has also set aside tickets for youngsters who are in and out of hospital as much as she is.

Doors open at 6.15pm for a 7.15pm start, which will see Lucy doing the honour of dropping the first puck.

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