Every so often, a story emerges from our town that reminds us just how strong the human spirit can be.
This is one of those stories.
Seventeen-year-old Aimee Nicholl from Blantyre has spent almost her entire life fighting battles that most of us could never imagine. While many teenagers are planning their futures, meeting friends and enjoying life, Aimee has instead endured decades of pain, uncertainty and countless hospital stays with remarkable bravery.
Born prematurely to Blantyre parents Karina Brown and Chris Nicholl, doctors feared Aimee would not even live to see her first Christmas.
At just three months old, she was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. By nine months, doctors discovered a cyst on her brain. Then, in 2014, she was struck by meningitis for a second time. By the age of just eight, Aimee had already undergone an astonishing 17 brain operations.
Aimee attended St Blane’s Primary School throughout her primary years before moving on to John Ogilvie High School. She is now enrolled at Holy Cross High School, although sadly her health means she is only able to study online because she is too unwell to attend school in person.
Today, at just 17 years old, Aimee has undergone more than 30 brain surgeries.
Heartbreakingly, the last three years have been her toughest yet.
Her mum, Karina, told Blantyre Telegraph:
“She has lifelong brain conditions but for the last three years she’s been bed bound with low pressure symptoms in her brain. She has two shunts in her brain and can’t stand up for longer than around 20 minutes before she has to lie flat again. She spends over 90 per cent of her time in bed at home with no interaction with the outside world.”
Despite the efforts of specialists in Glasgow, the family eventually reached a devastating point.
“Her Glasgow Neuro team tried to resolve this but said they had come to the end of their expertise and we fought to have Aimee referred to a specialist brain unit in London.”
For Aimee, simply sitting upright can trigger relentless head pain, severe sickness, overwhelming dizziness and a constant feeling of being off balance. The only relief she gets is by lying completely flat.
After an incredibly long battle, there was finally a glimmer of hope this week.
On Thursday night, Aimee was flown to London aboard an Air Ambulance medical private jet, where she received specialist treatment on Friday that simply wasn’t possible in Glasgow because the necessary equipment wasn’t available.
This morning (Monday 6th July), brave Aimee was back in theatre, where surgeons inserted a metal bolt into her skull to monitor the pressure inside her brain in real time. The monitoring will continue over the next few days before she undergoes further surgery and meets with specialist neurosurgeons to determine the next stage of her treatment.
Karina summed up what everyone who meets Aimee quickly realises:
“Honestly, she’s so, so brave and I can’t even explain just how strong she is!”
Because Aimee is now being treated in an adult hospital, her family no longer receives the financial support that was previously available through paediatric services. They now face significant accommodation and travel costs while remaining close to her bedside in London.
If you are able to help this wonderful Blantyre family in any way, however small, you can donate here:
👉 https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-support-my-sister-aimee-bdyrr
Aimee is pictured alongside her loving and supportive sisters.
From everyone at Blantyre Telegraph, we are sending Aimee our very best wishes as she faces the next stage of her journey. Your courage has inspired so many people already.
We’ve also made a £100 donation to help with accommodation costs during this latest hospital stay and hope our readers will join us in supporting this incredibly brave young woman and her family. ❤️
