Hello, I'm Antonia and I’m 12 years old. I am the guest editor of this winter's edition of Lifeline magazine.
When I first became ill it was one year ago and I was on a skiing holiday in Colorado, America.
At first I was diagnosed with altitude sickness and was prescribed oxygen. Very soon I became even worse and I was taken to the hospital were I had a cat scan and they found a mass behind my heart. They didn’t know what this mass was but they presumed it might be cancer. It was decided not to treat me in Amercia but to fly me back to the UK by Air Ambulance. There I was taken to Great Ormond Street where Doctor Tan looked after me. After an biopsy of the mass, I was diagnosed with Lymphangiomatosis.
Lymphangiomatosis is a very rare disease. At Great Ormond Street there have only ever been three children with it before me which tells you just how rare it is. Because they have had so few people with this disease they weren't quite sure what to do. They discussed my case with experts in Boston Children’s Hospital and discovered that there is no cure and they could only treat my symptoms. Fortunately that went well and now I am feeling back to my old self.
This summer I went to France and went Paragliding, it was so much fun, and I am now back at school full time, participating in all sports. Every six months I have to go back to Great Ormond Street just to make sure that everything is alright.
It makes me feel very happy to know they are always there for me if I need them.I cant wait until the Christmas holidays, although I don't think we’ll be going skiing for a while.
Watch the film of my interview
This issue of Lifeline magazine is all about play. I interviewed Emma Franks, the only research play specialist in the UK about her role in the hospital.
