"My world was destroyed", says mum Kerry Graver when recalling the moment she discovered her baby had suffered a stroke.

Her daughter, Maddison, had gone undiagnosed for almost a year, leaving her family wondering why she was not developing at the same rate as other children.

The 41-year-old mother said: "It was awful. We started looking into it at five months as Maddison was not doing what a child should do at five months.

"You do what every mother would do, and go to Google to look up the symptoms.

"It was terrible for all of us. I just did not know if she would walk or talk."

Maddison, who is now seven, was not sitting or even attempting to stand up at 11 months old – things you would expect for a child her age – so Kerry and dad, Danny, 38, decided to take their daughter to their GP to find out if something was wrong.

They were referred to Evelina London Children's Hospital where an MRI scan revealed Maddison had had a perinatal stroke and 90% of her brain had died on its right side.

Kerry, of Rowan Road, Swanley, added: "It was extremely difficult. My world fell apart.

"But as a mum I never gave up. I sat with her eight hours a day trying to give her the best."

The youngster underwent immense therapy which consisted of teaching her left side of the brain to do the things the right side would usually do and know.

Due to her stroke, the seven-year-old has severe epilepsy and can have up to 50 seizures a day, is partially sighted in both eyes and is paralysed on her left side.

Despite this, Maddison can walk with a frame or with help from others and talks, which the family were told she may not have been able to do.

She also attends Valence School in Westerham, a specialist for physical disabilities where she has lots of friends.

Kerry added: "Her friends are all the same so she does not stand out.

Due to the severity of Maddison's epilepsy, the family has installed specialist cameras around the house and other things such as adapted bedding to stop her suffocating if she were to have a seizure face down or at night.

Kerry goes everywhere with her daughter as she worries she may hurt herself due to her condition, especially in their garden which has a lot of concrete.

She continued: "I never stop thinking about it. With epilepsy everything is a constant worry."

Maddison loves to play outside with her older sister Amelia, 11 – who is also a registered young carer and learned to dial 999 aged four.

But Kerry fears what could happen if she were to have a fall, so needs the garden to be safe and secure for the girls to enjoy.

Children's charity WellChild, which supports the Graver family, has offered to make over their garden as part of its Helping Hands projects, with help from financial firm St James' Place.

It will be adding handrails and creating level access so Maddison can use it all and practice using her walker.

Soft flooring such as artificial grass or playground tiles will also be laid.

Kerry is looking forward to the renovation as it helps take away the fear she feels when Maddison plays outside.

"I will be able to sit there and watch her play without having to worry about her hurting herself," she said.

"I can allow her to be a seven-year-old and not be a mum that wants to wrap her up in cotton wool."

Maddison's family is eager for her to live a "normal" life and encourages her to take part in everything including a fashion catwalk to show people that having a disability does not stop you.

She catwalked at a fundraising gala at London Fashion Week in aid of WellChild and NHS Charities Together in September, modelling childrenswear brand Little Robes Royale.

She also met actress Emma Thompson among other celebrity guests.

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