Seanna's Story
Meet Seanna
Seanna was 5 years old, and had been suffering with ongoing infections since she was just 1, along with bowel issues. For years, Charlotte battled doctors, knowing there was something more going on than just an unlucky girl catching every infection going. A cold for most children would turn into pneumonia for Seanna, and it was the fact that minor illnesses affected her so severely that told Charlotte something wasn't right.
The Diagnosis
There were constant hospital admissions, skin infections, chest infections, and so many rounds of antibiotics in such a short space of time. A normal day out, one that wouldn't affect other children, would leave Seanna unable to move off the sofa for a day or two afterwards, just to recover.
It wasn't until Seanna had an endoscopy, to investigate her bowel issues, that doctors in Cardiff found her oesophagus covered in fungal candida. Within three weeks, Seanna had a diagnosis: STAT1 Gain of Function, a rare, life-limiting gene condition, with only one cure, a bone marrow transplant.
The Struggle
Within a year of that diagnosis, Seanna was scheduled for the transplant that would give her the chance at a full, healthy life. In the meantime, she took six different medications daily just to fight off infection while she waited. Hospital life was so normal to Seanna, it was all she'd ever known, and she often said that when she grew up, she wanted to be a nurse or a doctor.
Seanna's transplant meant Charlotte relocated to Newcastle to be by her side, while Seanna's dad stayed behind in Wales with their younger son. Splitting the family in two, hundreds of miles apart, on top of everything else, was a struggle in itself.
How Louie's Helped
That's when Seanna and Charlotte met Shannon from Louie's, as Seanna was admitted to the Great North Children's Hospital for her transplant. Over the following months, Louie's stayed close, providing monthly grants to help with hospital costs, and meeting Charlotte regularly for a coffee and a chat, a familiar face and a listening ear, at a time when Charlotte was so far from home, and so often on her own. Every story shared about Seanna was full of her fierce, sassy personality, speaking her mind, and letting everyone know exactly what she thought, staff included, if she didn't like the clothes they had on.
Seanna's health became unpredictable after chemotherapy, leaving her struggling to breathe without support. Even then, she wasn't phased, staying completely herself, fighting hard, determined to stay strong for her mam and dad.
Remembering Seanna
On 25th August 2026, Seanna passed away.
In the days that followed, Louie's stayed close to Charlotte and her family, being there for whatever they needed. Having walked this path before, Louie's was able to gently share insight into what comes next, timelines, logistics, the practical things nobody wants to think about, so Charlotte could feel prepared, rather than facing it all unknowing. But more than anything, Louie's was simply there, a friendly, familiar face, reassuring Charlotte and her family that they had done everything they possibly could for Seanna.
Seanna was the strongest, most fierce, and sassiest little princess Louie's has ever known. The family remain deeply grateful for the bond built with Louie's throughout Seanna's journey, and Seanna will never be forgotten.
