PLAYING games in the back garden is an everyday part of growing up for most children – but for one brave youngster it is the latest step in her remarkable battle to lead a normal life.

Cordelia Cowsill suffers from an incurable genetic condition which meant she had to have half of her brain removed when she was just 17 months old.

Now aged seven, Cordelia is slowly learning to do the things that come naturally for most children.

Last year she walked for the first time, and now she’s running rings around parents Amanda and Martyn in the garden of their Greenfield home.

Sadly for the Cowsills, Cordelia is not the only family member who has tuberous sclerosis, which causes benign tumours on her internal organs leading to mobility problems and severe seizures.

Her nine-year-old brother, Oliver, also suffers from the condition, which has left him with autism, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder disorder, learning disabilities and language disorders.

In total six members of the family have been told they have the illness, although the symptoms vary from one person to another.

Mum Amanda, who has also been diagnosed though she doesn’t suffer as severely, first became aware of the disease when her nephew was born.

"My sister’s youngest boy is six months older than Oliver," she explained. "We were pregnant at the same time but she started bleeding at 30 weeks and they found something on the baby’s heart.  We had no idea and knew nothing about it and had never heard of it before. Throughout my pregnancy we were constantly checking Oliver’s heart and that’s when we discovered tumours on our brains as well.  I had seizures when I was 14 but nobody picked it up. When I became pregnant with Cordelia we needed to test her for TS also as she was having fits while I was carrying her."

Both babies were born premature and, according to Amanda, life became an uphill struggle. On her return home, Cordelia contracted meningitis while four-year-old Oliver’s behavioural problems appear-ed to get worse.

But with the support from her dedicated husband, Mar-tyn, the family pulled together and things are finally looking up.

After years of mobility problems Cordelia miraculously started walking while out on a trip into Manchester last year and Oliver’s behaviour has also improved.

Amanda said: "Without her medication Cordelia would have fits every five minutes. As she got bigger the seizures got stronger but she’s still come out smiling.  She’s been walking quitesome time now. But she’s like a toddler and it’s hard work, everything she does is exhausting.

"She has to work with half a brain so it’s 100 times harder for her than anyone else.  Oliver’s problems have become more apparent but he’s doing really well. He’s at Kingfisher School and he conforms there. He knows the place and the routine so he’s coming out with some great stuff and is a lot happier."

The journey has been a struggle but the family are now attempting to get some normality back and are taking each day as it comes.

"The kids have kept us going," said Amanda. "It’s been an obsession. I need to know and fix everything about my children but I know that I can’t.   I like to know what’s going on because they don’t talk or communicate.  We won’t stop trying but we have to be realistic that both of our children aren’t going to have an easy time ahead of them.

"This condition is unpredictable as tumours can appear on any of the major organs.  The future frightens the hell out of me. There are three of us who Martyn loves dearly with this condition, I might end up poorly as well. But we strive on the good things that happen. All I want is for my little family to be loved and be happy."

Martyn added: "It’s always at the back of your mind and sometimes at the front but it would be catastrophic if I was left dealing with this on my own. There are signs that both the children are improving but it’s in tiny ways. They don’t improve at the same pace as ordinary children. Realistically they are going to need help in their own unique ways for ever."