A SEVEN-year-old girl has been left unable to speak or see after suffering an ‘extremely rare’ brain haemorrhage.

Charlotte Neve’s family said the previously healthy youngster is a ‘little fighter’ after she woke from a coma.

But she has now been struck by a major stroke, and her family said they fear she may have suffered brain damage.

The family of the Trawden Forest Primary School pupil are keeping a bedside vigil at Leeds General Infirmary.

Her aunt Marieta Birt said the family had been left shocked and frightened by her condition.

Retired paediatrician, Dr Helen Turner from Colne, said: “Brain haemorrhages in someone as young as this are extremely rare.

”Usually they occur in people in their 30s or older. They are normally caused by weak blood vessels that swells and cause an aneurysm which ruptures.

“It will probably take a long time until doctors will know if the damage is permanent."

Charlotte has been in hospital for nearly two weeks after her mother Leila Neve and her sister Megan, 11, were unable to wake her on Friday, April 13.

She was taken to hospital and underwent a life saving operation after it was discovered that she had suffered a bleed on the brain.

Initially, after waking from a coma on the following day, she was responding well but on the Monday she suffered the first of several minor strokes before a major stroke on Tuesday morning.

Since then she has been able to move but is currently unable to talk and see and is suffering from memory loss.

Her family, who have been staying in accommodation provided by The Sick Children's Trust , have set up an appeal to help other families with children in hospital.

Her aunt Marieta said: “Charlotte has always been a very healthy little girl, she has never complained of headaches and hadn’t banged her head so it was a complete shock when it happened.

“After the initial operation Charlotte was responding really well, she was taken off the ventilator and was able to breath on her own and was moved out of intensive care.

“But on Monday night she suffered a number of little strokes then she had a massive one on Tuesday morning.

“Doctors took her back into surgery on Tuesday. They said it would be touch and go if she would pull through.

“She is doing well but not as well as she did initially after the first operation. She is able to recognise voices and has laughed at jokes but at the moment her sight isn’t back yet and she is unable to talk.

“Scans of her brain have shown some level of brain damage but at the moment doctors are unsure if this is just swelling that may go down in time, and have told us not to panic.”

Her family have set up a fundraising appeal called Lottie Loo’s Get Well Wish asking for donations to The Sick Children’s Trust for household goods.

A collection point has been set up at Trawden Forest Primary School for household goods such as washing up liquid, toilet roll, kitchen roll, household cleaners, crockery, cutlery, tea towels, napkins and other goods.

Marieta added: “We are very hopeful that she will get better, she is a little fighter and has a young brain which is still developing and hopefully it may be able to make new connection and pathways.

“We don’t know how long she will be in hospital for but it looks as though she will be in for a while yet. Once the swelling has gone down they will be able to see what rehabilitation she will need.

“It has been an extremely frightening time for us all, but her mother and sister have been incredible.

Although they were very shocked at first they have learnt quickly how to cope and are being unbelievably strong.”