A MIRACLE girl with a range of rare illnesses who has defied death and received more than 100 blood transfusions has benefitted from a wave of support during the coronavirus pandemic.

Tough six-year-old Erin Sadler, from Highwoods, Colchester, has heart, kidney and liver disease, vasculitis, severe hypertension and chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

She receives around-the-clock care from her loving mum Helen, who has had to tighten restrictions on her day-to-day life even further in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

This time of year seems to be cursed for the family.

Erin suffered a mass haemorrhage in June 2017 after she was diagnosed with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a disease that causes the body’s own immune system to attack and kill one of the components of blood.

In summer 2018, this condition became so severe she had 56 blood transfusions in 52 consecutive days.

She survived, but in July last year suffered a severe lung infection and went into cardiac arrest in her mother’s arms.

After detecting no pulse for 15 minutes, Erin’s remarkable team at Colchester Hospital’s children’s ward managed to revive her.

Now Helen and Erin are preparing to face their greatest challenge during lockdown.

They must safely travel to London to receive specialist treatment at Kings College Hospital, after tests on her liver continued to return irregular results.

“At the beginning of lockdown I shook, I physically trembled, as I didn’t know how I was going to cope or how I would keep my family safe,” said Helen.

“My dad is in a high-risk group and Erin is, of course, hugely at risk.

“I just thought ‘What am I going to do?’

“But even the Marks and Spencer down the road have said ‘If you need anything just call us.’

“I’ll need to take Erin’s wheelchair, her overnight bag, gloves, anti-bacterial gel, hand sanitiser, just little things that will add up.

“We are conditioned to being reactive, the bags are packed already.

“Social distancing has been so vital, but we will never know when or if coronavirus will be completely gone.

“How can families like us really ever feel comfortable and safe?”

Helen looks after her daughter alongside Erin’s grandfather Philip, 71.

She must ensure Erin takes 20 different medications every day.

But this is her life.

She has been in and out of hospital, taking on more than most of us could ever imagine, from the age of 11-months-old.

She does it all with a smile.

Philip defies his years by constantly scheming to craft different activities to keep Erin active and entertained.

His latest endeavour saw him design a zipline in the family’s garden for a delighted Erin to enjoy.

Hordes of supporters also go the distance to help.

Esme Emerson, aged six, took on the challenge of completing a 24-hour hula hoop marathon in aid of Erin, managing to raise £200 to buy her friend some Lego kits.

Erin was beaming from ear to ear when she received the surprise delivery on her doorstep.

“I was so, so touched,” said Helen.

“I didn’t tell Erin about it, so when Esme and her mum Emma came to drop off all the Lego she got a huge surprise.

“We could see them get each bit out of the car and these boxes just kept coming and coming.”

Colchester Community First Responders also offered immediate help to Helen at the outset of the pandemic.

“I was in a big panic initially over her medication,” said Helen.

“They actually reached out and contacted me, asking if we were OK and whether we needed help.

“I said ‘I don’t know how I am going to get her medication’.

“They just replied ‘Don’t worry about it’, and collect it from Tesco and deliver it to us.”