9-year-old Wiltshire girl with rare genetic disorder wins place at Arsenal Academy
Poppy has Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, which effects her body's response to illness or stress
The parent of a girl in Wiltshire with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) says the condition doesn’t define her daughter.
Leah Pearson’s daughter Poppy has had CAH since birth, but Poppy doesn’t let her problems phase her.
CAH is where the Adrenal Glands above the Kidneys fail to produce the hormone Cortisol, which helps regulate the body during periods of ill-health.
Leah told us that a simple sickness bug can be incredibly dangerous to her daughter: “Whenever there's a sickness bug going around, it's my ultimate fear, because if Poppy gets the sickness bug, her medication doesn’t stay in.”
She says it’s important to recognise the symptoms of an Adrenal crisis, where the body of a person with CAH effectively shuts down.
The Girl who's brilliant at Football
Poppy has shown outstanding resilience despite her condition and has seen her talent on the football pitch earn a place in the Arsenal academy.
“She's just so resilient to it. I think it’s because she's grown up with it, it's not something that's been sprung on her. She's never known any different,” Leah said.
Leah told us that even when Poppy has found herself in hospital, she’s still been asking to go and play football, where Leah says she “bosses it”.
Poppy’s talent on the pitch has earnt her awards, such as Player of the Year 2022 from her club and Player of the Quarter 2023 at the Wiltshire Regional Talent Centre, where she plays an age group above.
Poppy told us that she doesn't like being the girl with a rare condition, but she is known as 'The Girl who's brilliant at Football'.
On getting into the Arsenal academy, she said: "I am so happy about getting into Arsenal, it's an absolute dream.
"I've always loved football and I would love to grow up and be like Leah Williamson."
CAH Awareness Month
June is CAH awareness month and Leah says the condition shouldn’t define someone.
“It's life threatening, and it is serious. But at the same time people with CAH can do multiple different things to achieve goals and dreams.
“It doesn't make you if not me, I think that's really important to raise as well that even though it is so serious, it's not going to define you in necessarily stop everything that you want to achieve in life.”
Leah has previously raised money for Stars Appeal to support the care at Salisbury District Hospital for people with CAH by doing a Sky Dive!
“Loved ones tend to spend a lot of time in these hospitals and things like that. So, I think they try and raise funds more so for the wards,” she said.