"I was told my little girl would never walk - she's taken her first steps aged 18"
A mum was "shocked" when her disabled daughter took her first steps at the age of 18 - after being told she'd never walk. Karen Tilley, 43, was told her daughter, Josselin, would spend the majority of her life in a hospice, and may never read, talk or walk. She was born with CHARGE syndrome - a rare genetic condition which affects many areas of the body and causes a wide range of birth defects, like heart defects, hearing loss and immune system problems. Karen noticed Josselin was missing "all" her milestones - and a doctor referred her to a geneticist, who diagnosed her with CHARGE after a blood test when she was three months old. Doctors warned Karen that Josselin may "never" be able to walk, talk or read.
