A YOUNG girl who is so ill that she spends most of her life in hospital can’t even get a cuddle from her mum as it would trigger a fit.

Evie Doyle, aged seven, has undergone several operations in the past four years and needs round-the-clock care as she has fits every five or ten minutes.

But despite everything, Mykala Doyle says her daughter, who has been in Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital for the past six weeks after being rushed in for emergency surgery, is constantly happy.

Somerset County Gazette:

Evie Doyle with her mum Mykala.

Mykala has set up a charity, Keep Evie Smiling, to ensure the youngster has the best possible life on the few occasions she is allowed home.

She said: “Musgrove is our second home – the longest I’ve had her at home is four weeks at a time and she’s spent the last four Christmases and birthdays in hospital.

“It’s hard because she’s been through so much, but she stills smiles all the time.

“She’s amazing and I’m really proud of her.

“When she’s well I want the best possible life for her.”

During her visits to hospital, she has been in an induced coma, hooked up to a ventilator seven times and undergone emergency operations for a tracheostomy and an implant to control her fitting.

Evie also has a tube for eating, drinking and taking medicines, hearing aids and a portacath so doctors can take blood or administer drugs.

She is given suctioning day and night to clear her airways, nebulisers every two to four hours, physiotherapy twice a day and is attached to a machine so she can breathe humidified and pressured oxygen while she sleeps.

Evie, who has also been admitted numerous times to the Bristol Paediatric Care Unit, was born with cerebral palsy, but her health complications worsened as a toddler.

“I can’t hold Evie or have cuddles as she fits when I touch her,” said Mykala, who is unable to work as she cares full time for her daughter.

“As a mother not being able to do much with your child is horrible.”

Evie is unable to speak and communicates by pointing at pictures in a book.

“She’s very clever, a lovely girl,” said her mum, who has the help of night-time carers when Evie is allowed home.

“Even when she gets really bad, she still smiles and looks to hold my hand and looks for her cuddly toy dog, Boris. She’s so loving.”

Evie is a pupil at North Petherton Primary School, where she won the egg and spoon race last term, although she rarely managed to attend due to her treatment.

Mykala is hoping to raise thousands of pounds to buy a special wheelchair, appropriate toys as she can’t play with her friends’ toys and a sensory unit.

She added: “Evie has been through so much that she deserves to be happy in her own home when she leaves hospital.

Find out about supporting Evie at www.facebook.com/keepeviesmiling