IT'S hoped a portrait by a York artist and signed by a Spice Girl will help a family who are desperate to get life-saving treatment for their baby girl.
As The Press reported in February, baby Ada, now ten months old, was born with a giant cyst occupying a third of her brain and her parents, Ella Dean and Drew Millard are in a race against time to get treatment for her.
Artist Shany Hagan, who has lived in York for more than 20 years, pledged to paint a portrait of singer Mel B for Mel to sign so the couple can auction it off to raise funds.
Now Shany has been to meet Mel and she has signed the portrait which Shany hopes to give to the family next week.
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Shany said: "Mel was blown away with the painting and she knows all about Ada's story and was asking how Ada and the family are."
Shany, who had eye surgery during the Covid lockdowns and decided to start painting again, despite not picking a paintbrush up for 33 years, said: "I read Ada's story and knew I had to do something to help her and her parents.
"I have worked with Mel B before and when she read the story she said she'd help straight away."
Giving an update on Ada's condition, Ella, said: "Ada has polymicrogyina which was picked up on her last MRI. It shows that her brain has developed abnormally in the womb during early development.
"Which alone can be responsible for development delays and seizures.
"We are trying to work out with the hospital now whether the cyst has grown as an attack or whether it's actually grown to protect her brain from the abnormalities. This means we are unsure whether surgery is the right course at this moment in time. She is being closely monitored weekly for any changes in the growth.
"We have been told any sudden growth changes would mean surgery would have to happen asap. Surgery without full understanding of how and why this has happened holds massive risks alone so the hospital are currently buying time to gain a better understanding of what's happened and what the future looks like and how we can work with it . Currently they believe the damage done is the best case scenario. They believe operating would hold further damage and extreme risks."
Baby Ada was born in June last year at York Hospital and after she failed to reach milestones in her development, doctors discovered that she has dangerously large and very rare Arachnoid cyst which is filled with spinal fluid and is growing rapidly causing, brain damage, seizures, and blindness.
Ella and Drew, both 28, are trying to cover the costs of what lies ahead for them and their family.
Ella, who lives in Acomb along with their older daughter, Lily, six, said Ada is currently at home and on medication to help fight the regular seizures she has been having.
Ella, who works as a barmaid at The Fox pub in Holgate, said people have already been incredibly generous and more than £10,000 has been raised on a justgiving page set up by Ella's friend, Charlie Mandley.
To support the appeal go to: https://gofund.me/bc4d4fb8
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