2 girls form special friendship while treated for brittle bone disease at Delaware hospital
International bonds of friendship have formed at Nemours Children's Hospital between two little girls being treated for a rare disease.
Having surgery and being treated at a hospital is a scary difficult ordeal for children but it's a little easier now for these girls who have some unique similarities.
Four-year-old Adira Gilliam is chatty and playful even at Nemours Children's Hospital where she's being treated for a rare genetic disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta often referred to as brittle bone disease.
"The children will tend to have short stature," said Dr. Jeanne Franzone. "The bones will develop a bowing deformity because they're very fragile. They're likely to fracture."
Adira Gilliam has had a series of surgeries and is now able to maneuver outside her wheelchair.
Today, @CBSPhiladelphia's @StahlCBS3 was on site to film a story about two of our patients with osteogenesis imperfecta. This heartwarming story will air tonight at 6:15pm on CBS3! Don't miss it! @Nemours #OI #BTS 📽️🎬 pic.twitter.com/BlyRGGsBdr
— Nemours Children's Orthopedics (@NemoursOrtho) September 13, 2024
"It's a joy and a struggle because she's so amazing and she's just like a regular kid. But she needs extra help," said mom Ashley Gilliam.
Also needing some extra help is another 4-year-old Fatima who has the same condition. She's here from Qatar to be treated.
"We're very lucky to be here, I think it's a great opportunity," said Fatima's mom Anood Al-Muhannadi.
Fatima's mom said they're here because Nemours has an international reputation as being the best for treating the disease.
"It's been amazing I mean her recovery went very smoothly, very well," said Al-Muhannadi.
There's been an unexpected bonus, Fatima and Adira have formed a special friendship.
"They are so adorable together and you can tell that they see each other when they play, they understand the other person more deeply," said Ashley Gilliam.
They come from different worlds but share the bond of a rare disease.
"Being away from home is difficult and you know, she miss her friends and her cousins, so it's very nice to be able to, you know, form a friendship here," said Al-Muhannadi.
They've endured the treatments and now these international girlfriends just want to have fun.
After being here for a couple of months, Fatima and her family will return to Qatar on Monday and they'll probably be back for treatments as they're needed, always happy to be reunited with their new friends.