BRAVE Matilda Simms has gone through so much in her seven months.

She has a range of conditions affecting her spine, brain and lower half, and has had 10 operations.

Her mum, Debra Simms, was told her daughter could be stillborn or die soon after birth and she was advised to have a termination.

But the 27-year-old of Lord Street, Kearsley, decided to carry on with the pregnancy — and now wants to give other parents hope.

Doctors discovered Miss Simms’ baby had spina bifida, which causes the spinal cord to be incomplete; hydrocephalus, which causes fluid on the brain, and talipes, which means both her feet are twisted out of shape.

The full-time mum said: “I didn’t even know what the conditions were and it was a big shock.

“I decided to go ahead because I had been trying to conceive for seven years and thought if it wasn’t meant to be something would happen.”

Matilda was born by caesarean section on May 24, weighing 5 lb 2 ounces.

Her hips and knees were dislocated and she also has epilepsy.

She had her first operation when she was just three days old, to close the open wound caused where the spinal abnormality occurred and remove a fluid sac caused by spina bifida.

The seven-month-old wore leg casts on and off for six months and now wears special boots 23 hours a day.

Miss Simms said: “Matilda has had her operations and treatment for now, it is more about therapy at the moment.

“She may be brain damaged but the doctors are amazed at how well she is doing, she is so alert.

“Her main problems are from the waist down, she may never walk.

“I’m very proud of her, she just gets on with it and is so brave, and is my little princess.

“I would advise anyone going through a similar thing to get as much information as possible.

“There is hope, if I can cope anyone can, and there is a lot of support out there.”