Little Mya Honca was born with a rare incurable condition called brittle bone disease, which means she could suffer a break at the slightest touch.
Her parents Emma Honca, 38, and Louis, 34, from Hull, have had to handle Mya with great care since she was born in order to prevent her from being injured.
Mya, who is now 15 months, had to spend the first six months of her life lying down and has faced a long battle to build up her muscles ever since.
Doctors say one day Mya should be able to walk a short distance but that she will likely need a wheelchair to get around.
And last month, Mya reached a major milestone – by standing up on her own two feet for the very first time.
Luckily the parents were able to record the sweet moment in a video too.
Emma says the occasion was both brilliant and terrifying in equal measure, as even though Mya now has more independence, she is also at greater risk of injury.
Mum Emma said: ‘To see Mya stand on her own two feet for the first time was a really incredible moment.
‘She has been through a lot throughout her short life so far but has managed to smile and giggle the whole time, her attitude has been amazing.
‘We definitely see this as a major milestone and a cause of celebration, but at the same time, the prospect of Mya being on her feet does terrify me.
‘The more independence she gains the higher the chance is of her hurting herself, which isn’t really something we can avoid, it’s part of her life unfortunately.’
Mental health nurse Emma and husband Louis, who cares for Mya and also works as an illustrator, have two other children, Josh, 13, and four-year-old Marcus.
Emma was told there were problems with Mya at a routine 20-week scan in January 2019, when Mya was found to have a fractured femur in the womb.
The couple didn’t know their daughter had brittle bone disease, called osteogenesis Imperfecta, until she was born last May.
Emma added: ‘Doctors told us she could have one of many conditions, it was really difficult to know her life as a baby wasn’t going to be like most others.
‘After she was born and we found out she has osteogenesis imperfecta she had to spend a week on the neonatal unit, which isn’t the start in life we wanted for her.’
Mya can now hold her own weight for a few seconds before sitting back down.
But Emma worries Mya may hurt herself, saying: ‘She has no fear, which is a wonderful thing, but it does make me scared sometimes.
‘With that being said I don’t want her to hold back and be fearful of the world, I want her to live the best possible life she can.’
Emma said her main reason for telling Mya’s story and celebrating her success is to raise awareness about osteogenesis imperfecta, which affects one in 20,000.
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