FOR the majority of her teenage life, Sophie May lived with the fear that she could choke to death at any moment.
The youngster, from Nottinghamshire, suffered such severe asthma attacks that she needed to be ventilated and put into a medically-induced coma to recover.
SuppliedSophie May claims David Beckham ‘saved my life’ as he gave her the strength to fight on and overcome her health problems[/caption]
SuppliedThe teen also met Victoria Beckham with her mum Karen Sims (second left) and When You Wish Upon A Star founder Barbara White (right)[/caption]
Doctors were baffled by what brought on the attacks, which eventually robbed Sophie of the ability to walk and pick up a knife and fork.
By 17, the once happy and active teen was deeply depressed, bed-bound and on a “downward spiral” as her organs “slowly shut down”.
Sophie admits she “gave up” and “wanted to die” during that unimaginable period – before a surprising lifeline came along that changed her life.
The sickly teen had been invited to meet her idol and crush David Beckham, in Spain, by the charity When You Wish Upon A Star.
After landing in Madrid, their trip was nearly derailed because Sophie’s wheelchair was “broken” by airport handlers. But, in their hour of need, David came to the rescue by having a new one sent directly to their hotel.
Sophie tells us: “It changed my life more than I can explain. Suddenly my illness wasn’t the only thing that defined who I was.
“I became the girl who met David Beckham and all of my friends were really jealous. Spending time with him gave me a willingness to fight on.
“I really believe it saved my life. Mentally and physically it made me so happy that it made me realise I wanted to live. I wanted to tell people about how I got to meet him.”
Shortly after returning to the UK, she received Xolair injections, which radically improved her health.
Now Sophie, 34, can walk unaided, is married and a mum-of-two – and credits much of her progress to meeting her footballing hero David.
SuppliedSophie’s asthma was under control until her teenage years[/caption]
Gravely ill
Sophie has suffered from brittle asthma – a serious form of the condition that requires regular hospitalisation – from the age of two.
Her health began to deteriorate at 14, when she nearly died from two “deeply concerning” asthma attacks within two months of each other.
She recalls: “I remember sitting on the stairs getting ready for school and telling my mum, ‘I don’t feel well’.
“I was struggling to breathe and mum knew how serious it could be. My asthma pumps weren’t helping so she called an ambulance.
“The next thing I remember was waking up surrounded by people. It was terrifying.”
Sophie had to be resuscitated and put onto a ventilator before it was decided her best chance of healing was in a medically induced coma.
She recalls: “When I woke up, I remember seeing my grandad and my mum’s face. They both looked really upset.”
It was the start of a drastic decline in Sophie’s health. Two months later, she felt that same terrifying feeling of breathless and suffered another near-fatal asthma attack.
She tells us: “It was like someone had their hands around my neck. I was panicking as my breaths became shorter and shorter each time.
“I was lying in my hospital bed on my mum’s knee staring up at her as I struggled for air.
“All I can remember is the look of fear in my mother’s eyes and then I passed out. Both times I thought I was going to die and was filled with fear.”
Sophie says steroid treatment led her to put on six stoneSupplied
The second asthma attack, which also required her to be ventilated and put in a medically induced coma, was far worse than the first.
It left Sophie reliant on a wheelchair and for a time unable to eat independently.
“I tried to relearn how to walk but because I was so poorly it was really difficult and I used a wheelchair most of the time,” Sophie says.
“I was really ill, I couldn’t pick up a knife and fork and the majority of the time I couldn’t even get out of bed.”
‘Last hope’
Sophie was put on a cocktail of drugs including a nebuliser that delivered medication directly into her lungs up to a dozen times a day.
She says: “I was on so much medication, they kept putting me on higher doses of steroids, and due to my health I missed so much school.
“When I was able to go to school I had to do my work in reception because there were a lot of stairs and I risked getting out of breath by walking up them.
“They thought I’d be safe there because there was a big risk of my going home. Sometimes I was only in there for half a day.”
It was an isolating time for Sophie, whose health continued on a “downhill track”. In the back of her mind was “the fear” that another attack could kill her.
She tells us doctors were baffled and when medications failed to work, her mum Karen Sims was told: “There’s nothing else we can do, her organs are slowly shutting down.”
By 17, Sophie was bedbound and barely left her bedroom. She had plunged into a deep depression and gained six stone from steroid treatment.
Heartbreaking diary extracts from that time reveal she would “break down and cry” most days and wished for death to end “all this pain and suffering”.
In one, she wrote: “Nothing is working, I’m struggling to cope. It’s all too much. Everyone’s trying to cheer me up it’s not working, I don’t know why.
“Sometimes I just cry and don’t know why. Sometimes I want to die alone. Sometimes I just want a cuddle and to cry.”
Glimmer of hope
The only glimmer of hope was for Sophie to be allowed a then-experimental drug called Xolair, which at the time was in the testing stages and not available through the NHS.
“It was my last hope but doctors weren’t hopeful,” Sophie says.
Her mum campaigned to get Sophie the treatment – but knowing of her daughter’s grim prognosis prepared herself for the worst.
Karen contacted When You Wish Upon A Star – a charity that grants special requests to children with life-threatening illness – in the hope of uplifting her daughter’s low spirits.
Sophie says: “I remember mum asking me if I could meet anyone in the world who would it be? Without pause, I said David Beckham.”
SuppliedSophie, pictured with mum Karen, was given a tour of the Real Madrid stadium[/caption]
She chose the legendary England star because she had “always loved watching him play” and her family were “big football fans”.
Sophie added: “He was the one celebrity I really looked up to and of course, it didn’t hurt that he was very good looking too.”
That year, her wish was granted and she was flown out to Spain to meet David and watch a Real Madrid game from his private box.
She says: “At the time I was really poorly but knowing I was going to meet him in a few months gave me the strength to keep fighting and a positive mental attitude.”
Sophie explains that David “couldn’t do enough” for her when they met at his offices. He served them drinks and was “the most lovely, down-to-earth person” she had met.
She says: “It was very nervewracking because I looked up to him. But he was amazing, he made me feel really special.
“I told him about my life and we spoke about our favourite films. David said he loved watching romantic comedies and Disney films. It was a wonderful experience.”
The next day, Sophie watched the Real Madrid star play from his private box in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, where she met Victoria Beckham and David’s mum Sandra.
She says: “They all made me feel listened to and really special. When I got home I had a bit of a fight in me. I felt like I could give life that extra push.
“It made me realise, ‘Yeah, I’m really unwell but I’ve had an amazing experience and I want to tell everyone about it’.
SuppliedSophie on her 18th birthday with future husband Martin – around the time she had her first Xolair injections[/caption]
SuppliedSophie with husband Martin and kids Bella-Grace, eight, and Daisy, four[/caption]
“I was full of adrenaline and was on such a high. The Wish Upon A Star experience massively uplifted my mood during such a rubbish time.
“It helped me to forget about my health and left me feeling stronger. I know the positive attitude helped me massively.”
Armed with renewed optimism and positivity, Sophie had even more good news to come within weeks of returning home.
She became one of the first people in the UK to receive asthma treatment Xolair and the monthly injections, which she continues to have, radically changed her life.
What is When You Wish Upon A Star?
CHARITY When You Wish Upon A Star has granted more than 18,000 wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses since it was founded in 1990.
The once-in-a-lifetime moments include helping kids to meet celebrity heroes, going to sports events and free trips to Disney theme parks.
They also make annual trips to Lapland – 2023 marks their 30th year – by chartering two plans with Wish children to go to meet Father Christmas and make magical memories.
To find out more visit: www.whenyouwishuponastar.org.uk.
Sophie recalls: “My health was almost like that of any other person. I no longer needed my wheelchair, could breathe normally and hardly touched my nebuliser.”
Reflecting on all she went through, she says she “never thought life could change so drastically” and uses her struggles as motivation to this day.
Sophie adds: “Because I used to use a wheelchair before, I feel like I push myself more. It’s a way to prove to myself that I can do things I could only dream of when I was ill.
“I go to the gym, swim and take long walks regularly because I appreciate being able to do them so much more. All of my struggles taught me I’m never going to give up again.”