Stroke survivor Margot 'defies everything' to reach fourth birthday

Margot Jones-Billington is now a happy four-year-old

A little girl who was not expected to survive a stroke at the age of one has "defied everything" to reach her fourth birthday.

Margot Jones-Billington, from Denton near Northampton, suffered a brain haemorrhage before the stroke.

She has been receiving therapy on the NHS, but now her family believe she needs extra help which the health service cannot provide.

They say her mobility is regressing, and a fundraising campaign has begun.

Margot was diagnosed with a bleed on the brain at just 20 months old and was not expected to survive.

Half of her skull was removed and she spent months in hospital, where she suffered a respiratory arrest, a cardiac arrest and two deep-vein thromboses.

She also had a stroke and has had to learn to walk, talk, swallow and communicate all over again.

Earlier this year, Margot won a BBC Make a Difference award for her bravery.

Her mother, Laura, said her fourth birthday was a real cause for celebration: "We were told that she wouldn't walk, she probably won't talk and [although] she does have lifelong disabilities, [we were told] they would be a lot more profound than they are.

"She's really defied everything."

Margot's mother said she had "really defied everything" with her progress

Margot has been receiving NHS physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy.

Ms Jones-Billington said the therapy was achieving results, but Margot's mobility is getting worse.

The family wants to arrange some additional therapy to improve her mobility and encourage her to use her right hand, but this cannot be provided on the NHS.

Ms Jones-Billington said: "She needs what's called an 'intensive' three or four weeks at a time where she does four hours of therapy a day.

"They're amazing, and the results they get are remarkable - but they cost thousands of pounds for each one."

A fundraising campaign has so far raised £13,000 of the £40,000 needed for the therapy.