A baby girl born with a "club foot" and a port wine stain "shaped like a giraffe" on her back has a genetic mutation so rare she is the first person in the world to have it, doctors have said.

Willow Diamond was born in April last year and is the "most beautiful, amazing little girl" her parents Karen and Kris could have asked for.

But just 10 months into her life, Willow has already had to deal with a raft of mystery symptoms and numerous trips to hospital as medics tried to find out what was causing them.

Born with port wine stains on her back and hips and a club foot, Willow was taken to hospital at two weeks old by her parents when they found a lump on her leg and feared it could be sinister.

The tot was later diagnosed with swelling condition lymphoedema, which in her case is a symptom of a rare condition called Klippel-Trenaunay Weber Syndrome.

Willow Diamond
Willow Diamond

The condition is characterised by port-wine stain birthmarks, swelling, excessive growth of the limbs and vascular malformations.

Following two MRI scans, Willow was diagnosed with lymphoedema in both legs, complex lymphatic and vascular malformations in her legs and surrounding her bowel and rectal area.

But her journey wasn't over there as genetic tests revealed she has a Pik3ca gene mutation - but not one that doctors have ever seen before.

Karen, 29, tries to fight off Willow's lymphedema by massaging her legs daily and doing manual lymphatic drainage every day.

Willow hasn't lost her fighting spirit and continues to amaze everyone, earning her the nickname 'Wonder Willow' by nurses.

Karen acknowledges that lymphedema will make Willow look different, but it doesn't define her, and she hopes to highlight this to people of all ages who battle with lymphedema daily.

Willow Diamond with parents Karen and Kris
Willow Diamond with parents Karen and Kris

The proud mum said: "When Willow was born she was covered in port wine stains, like big purplish marks on her hips.

"Two weeks later her dad was changing her nappy and saw she had a lump on her leg, so we took her to A&E at the Queen Elizabeth Gateshead. That's when the doctor sort of suggested Klippel-Trenaunay Weber Syndrome.

"Two weeks later she started bleeding from her backside so we rushed her to the RVI in Newcastle and saw lots of specialists and surgeons

"They found out she had lymphoedema in both legs and in her buttocks and later genetic biopsies showed she has Pik3ca gene mutation, but the mutation she's got, she's the first to have it.

"There's so many things going on with her, they can't put it down to one thing, but the lymphoedema is the only visible disability she's got.

"She's been referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital and we're discussing a management of her condition, but there's no cure.

"It's just a waiting game at the minute, seeing how much it progresses."

The family, who have recently moved from Gateshead to Hebburn, want to raise awareness of lymphoedema so that more people are aware of the condition that often goes undiagnosed and misdiagnosed.

Although Willow was born with the symptoms of lymphoedema, which affects around 200,000 people in the UK, it wasn’t diagnosed until she was two months old. Willow was referred to St Oswald’s Hospice, a national centre of excellence for lymphoedema treatment.

Karen said: "It’s so daunting to find out your daughter has an incurable condition but Willow’s lymphoedema treatment is not a scary experience at the minute, the reason simply being that we have St Oswald’s support and it’s an amazing place."

To find out more about lymphoedema and St Oswald’s Lymphoedema Service visit https://www.stoswaldsuk.org/lymphoedema-service

The family is fundraising to thank St Oswald’s and the Lymphoedema Support Network for their support. To make a donation to the Diamond family fundraising page please visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/karen-cook-4