A woman who was told 19 times that she “will not make it” after suffering debilitating brain damage at birth celebrated her 21st birthday as a princess.

Elke Wisbey, who grew up in Bearsted in Maidstone was starved of oxygen at birth and not expected to survive, so her landmark birthday at Leeds Castle on Sunday was extra cause to celebrate.

Elke’s mum Glynnis was delighted to be able to celebrate reaching a landmark she thought her daughter might never see.

“She has defied the odds and always comes up smiling,” she said.

Glynnis, 57, said her daughter has always wanted to be a princess so Leeds Castle was the perfect venue for her milestone celebration.

“Elke’s life goal has been to be a princess,” she said.

“With the help of her 24/7 care package she has pretty much got day-to-day living like a princess sorted so to have her party at a castle is perfect.”

Guests at the Maiden Tower included 100 friends and family who have supported Elke on her journey.

Music was provided by Take That tribute band Rule the World, who made a special trip down from Yorkshire to surprise the birthday girl whose hero is Gary Barlow.

Glynnis said: “Elke does rather love Gary Barlow, but sadly whenever we have had tickets for her to see him or Take That she has ended up in hospital.”

Elke’s suffers with the condition hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, in addition to scoliosis of the spine and osteoporosis.

Her health has deteriorated over the years and there have been more than 19 occasions when her family, who now live in Boughton Lees near Ashford, have been told there is nothing they can do for her and to prepare for the worst. But her mum said her passion for life has never faded.

“She has an overwhelming zest for life and finds the best in every day, no matter what is thrown at her.

“She has a wonderful empathic nature coupled with a smile that lights up the room, a belly laugh that will have you giggling for ages, a wicked sense of humour and an eye for pinching her mum’s latest clothes purchases.”

Elke, who attended Five Acre Wood school in Boughton Lane, Maidstone, until last July, and was guest of honour at the school prom recently, has seen her condition deteriorate over the years as severe scoliosis of the spine is crushing her left lung and her heart.

In the last seven years she has become totally dependent on oxygen to assist with her breathing by day and is on ventilation overnight.

She suffers daily seizures, has dystonic muscle spasms, oedema of the lower limbs and is visually-impaired.

Over the years the Kent Messenger has followed Elke’s life as she has reached milestones her mum never thought possible.

In 2008 Elke, who is non-verbal and mainly fed by a tube, suffered a five-hour seizure which resulted in further brain damage.

That year the Kent Messenger newspaper launched an appeal help buy Elke a Smartbox, which tracks her eye movements and helps her communicate with others.

The fund exceeded the family’s target of £17,500 and enabled the youngster to tell her mum she loved her for the first time.

Speaking at the time Glynnis said: "I was playing on it with her the other day and she kept eye pointing to all the bits which said 'I love you'.

"I thought it was stuck and then I realised what she was saying. It was quite emotional."