Our real life Tinker Bell

LITTLE Cheyanne Ferreday proudly shows off her Tinker Bell outfit looking like any other playful toddler.

But sadly this is not just a dressing up game for the two-year-old because-just like the Peter Pan fairy- she can only communicate through bell chimes.

A life-saving operation when she was a baby cruelly robbed her of her vocal cords, meaning she cannot talk, cry, laugh or utter any sound. So she uses a tiny bell tied on her leg with ribbon to signal to her parents Jo and Kevin that she needs something.

Jo, 38, of Peterborough, Cambs, explained: "When she was a baby we had no way of knowing in the night if she needed changing or feeding because she couldn't scream like other babies.

"So we'd listen for the bell then we'd run in and sort her out. She's two now but we've left it on because if she has a nightmare or needs changing she can't shout and tell us.

Mechanic Kevin, 35, added: "Sometimes you'll hear the bell ring and go to her and she'll have an enormous smile on her face and you know she's tinkled the bell to have a laugh-and that's lovely."

Cheyanne, who has three older brothers and sisters-Hannah, 13, Peter 11, and Samantha, nine- was born with the rare condition Subglottal Stenosis.

Growths on her windpipe and vocal cords meant her body was not getting enough oxygen. Her cries were always very quiet but she was only diagnosed at 10 weeks when she suddenly turned blue and couldn't breathe during a routine medical check-up.

An ambulance rushed her to Leicester General Hospital where the growths-and her vocal cords-were removed.

Jo said: "Back in her cot Cheyanne looked so peaceful.

"Then came the moment I'd dreaded. She stirred from her sleep, scrunched up her face and began to cry. There was no sound, not a murmur. My heart twisted inside my chest."

But Jo's shock turned to relief-because her daughter had survived and her prospects were good.

The surgery left Cheyanne unable to drink because fluids would go directly into her lungs. So she has a tube into her stomach from her nose for liquids. But she can eat solid food, and doctors hope they will be able to remove the tube when she has grown.

They are also optimistic they'll be able to fit her with a special speech valve when she is older so she can talk.

In the meantime, Cheyanne is happy to tinkle her bell for attention. In fact, says Jo, "she's quite like Tinker Bell-she's bossy and likes her own way!

"And our little girl is alive -that's what matters."

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