The girl kept sleeping and stopped breathing

Emma, ​​24, an Englishman, is one of 200 people in the world who suffer from this rare syndrome. Her parents had to wake up 60 times a night when the alarm rang her to sleep.

She is the second adult in England to live with sleep apnea syndrome . People with this syndrome forget to breathe every time they sleep due to the respiratory control agency's nervous system and they cannot do anything to fix it.

Living with this condition since birth means Emma never sleeps at her desk or gets to sleep every time she takes a train.

Picture 1 of The girl kept sleeping and stopped breathing
To be able to sleep, Emma Chell must use respiratory support.
(Her photo was taken with her boyfriend Chris)

The only way she can sleep is to use a special ventilation mask, which helps her while she sleeps.'It is part of my life. I know I can never fall asleep anywhere. If I'm sleepy, I walk around and try to stay awake , "Emma said.

'It is important to make sure I have a good night's sleep. I never drink alcohol unless my parents are there with me. Because I'm afraid I get drunk and can die, ' she added.

For the first two years, Emma had to live in the hospital. Worldwide, only 1 / 200,000 children are born with this syndrome. However, this disease has a very high mortality rate so currently, only 200 people with this disease are alive.

Emma's mother, Mrs. Carole, 51, spent her entire time caring for her daughter. She said: 'I was pregnant Emma completely normal until she was born. At birth, her skin turns blue and she is immediately transferred to the newborn care room. Doctors monitor and find that, each time she sleeps, she stops breathing and oxygen levels decrease. Each time, they woke him up but they couldn't do it like that forever. She is very tired, in the end, they give her a breathing machine. '

Dr. Peter Fleming, Bristol's pediatric hospital, who discovered Emma's disease, was one of the first cases in England with sleep apnea syndrome. Emma was inserted an air tube into her neck but still had to be regular at the hospital.

Picture 2 of The girl kept sleeping and stopped breathing
She said she wants to have a normal life.

In order for her daughter to go home, Mrs. Carole and her husband, David, 56, had to learn how to use ventilation masks and oxygen screens to take care of Emma while sleeping.

'The first night she came home was Christmas Eve, we sat beside her all night. We were both afraid of what happened when we slept. Then we split up, I slept in the middle of the night to let David look at her, then I would look for him to sleep for a few hours. We were very tired but we still did it because we felt reassured. I know there are cases of this syndrome that have to hire nurses 7 nights a week but during 10 years, we all look after her, ' Emma's mother, Mrs. Carole, shared.

Emma's parents often wake up 50 to 60 times a night because of the various alarms of breathing aids.

When she started school, she had to have an adult with her.'They also followed me to the toilet because the school confirmed I needed to be monitored if anything happened. Things just improved when I was in college, ' Emma said.

Emma has also twice 'escaped the death scythe' for measles and meningitis. The doctors were amazed by her vitality.

Currently, Emma has completed a computer course at a local university that wants a job and a normal life with her boyfriend Chris Mason, 29, who has had to adapt to having a girl. masked girlfriend while sleeping.