Health

Gymnast, 12, needs hip replacement after catching rare form of TB from cough



A 12-year-old gymnast and dancer needs a hip transplant and will be unable to compete again after contracting a rare and potentially life-threatening disease when another person coughed.

Jessica Horley, from Bexley, spent five months in hospital, including more than a month in isolation, after being diagnosed with miliary tuberculosis.

The bacterial infection spread to her brain, spinal fluid, lungs, eyes, spleen and the bone and cartilage in her left hip, leaving her unable to walk.

She required five blood transfusions during her treatment at Evelina London children’s hospital. It is thought Jessica contracted the disease after the organism that causes TB, mycobacterium tuberculosis, was transmitted when someone harbouring the disease coughed.

She did have the BCG vaccine as a child, but it is only 70 to 80 per cent effective against the most severe forms of TB. 

People with TB can have few or no symptoms for several months but can be infectious to others. Jessica was first admitted last December and diagnosed a month later.

Jessica’s father Richard Horley, 35, said: “This is a life-altering disease for Jessica as the bacteria have destroyed all the cartilage in her hip. She was a talented athlete, gymnast and dancer, but now will never compete in sport again. She is likely to continue taking a cocktail of daily antibiotics for up to two years and will need a hip replacement.”

Miliary tuberculosis is named after the tiny spots seen in a chest X-ray and may infect a number of organs beyond the lungs. It accounts for less than three per cent of all TB cases in England. There were 175 cases in 2015, of which 32 were fatal, and 161 in 2016.

Jessica returned home at the start of June. Mr Horley is now planning to take part in Guy’s urban challenge, an “ultra triathlon” involving a 5km run, an 18km spin on a static bike and a 29-floor stair-climb to the top of Guy’s Hospital tower. The annual event, this year on September 28, raises funds for Guy’s, St Thomas’ and Evelina hospitals.

Mr Horley, a single parent, said: “As Jessica’s father it’s my job to keep her safe and well, but I couldn’t do that without the team at Evelina London. The care she continues to receive is phenomenal.

“Evelina London is celebrating its 150th birthday this year so it’s the perfect time for me to give something back and say thank you to the incredible team who helped to save Jessica’s life.”



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