Little dying flower girl Paige Skarratts fights back from the brink

SHE’S the little Gold Coast girl who broke the city’s heart. But Paige Skarratts, who was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer, has fought back from death’s door and returned home.

LITTLE Paige Skarratts has gifted her parents the most remarkable of belated wedding presents — herself.

Five weeks since her parents held an impromptu wedding at Brisbane’s Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital after being told she only had days to live, the four-year-old has defied medical predictions to gain enough strength to return to her Pimpama home.

While still not guaranteed long-term survival, Paige has overcome a lengthy period of unconsciousness to be able to move her limbs, understand instructions and, in recent days, try to speak.

Paige Skarratts has returned home to a new family pet, Arlo the cat.

“It has taken everyone by surprise,” Jake Skarratts said of his daughter’s recovery since he and wife Tania were told nothing could be done to save her from an inoperable brain tumour.

“For a week, the doctors were shocked every time they came to see her. It was a look of disbelief, as if this shouldn’t be happening.”

What initially happened was Paige stabilised, allowing a shunt to be installed to relieve pressure on the brain caused by excess fluid.

“That was the most scared we’ve been because we didn’t know if she was going to pull through,” Jake said.

“Then she started to gain a bit more strength, which gave us hope. One day she moved her left arm. The next she moved her right. Then it was her legs followed by her head.

“To see her comprehend what we were saying was amazing ... we thought ‘It’s happening, she’s fighting’.

Paige Skarratts with mother Tania, was on death’s door when she was the flower girl at her parent’s impromptu weddings, but she’s fought back

“About a month ago, the last words she said to us before she lost consciousness were ‘I’m going to keep fighting’ and that’s what she’s done. She’s just being so strong.”

So strong that a week ago, Jake and Tania were able to buckle their little girl in their car and bring her home for the first time in 10 weeks.

“It happened so quickly,” Jake said.

“With Paige getting stronger, Tania had suggested that maybe we could take her home in a week or so’ and the doctors said ‘We could get you home in three days’ ... it was exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.

Paige Skarratts is all smiles as she heads home to Pimpama after a lengthy stint at Brisbane's Lady Cilento Children's Hospital.

“Paige had a big smile all the way home. She finally had a bit of sun on her skin and knew she was going home.”

Having only slept in their own beds four nights out of the past two and a half months, Paige’s parents are now adjusting to a new world.

Jake Skarratts with his girls, Paige, 4, and Imogen, 2.

One that features regular visits from nurses and specialists and little steps that are truly massive.

“In the last three days Paige has been trying to speak and putting a couple of words together,” Jake said.

“We’ve been doing the basics — Mum, Dad, Nan, Pop — and after two days of trying to get her to say ‘Immi (her little sister, Imogen)’, she finally did this morning.”

Those are the highs. Then there are the lows.

“It’s still very hard,” Jake said.

“Every now and then Paige will cry and I’ll ask if she's in pain and she’ll shake her head ‘no’. Then I’ll ask if it’s because she can’t talk or walk and she’ll nod and cry even more.

“It’s heartbreaking. Not even three months ago she was a little girl who was walking and talking.”

Jake releases the sigh of a father desperate to do something, anything, to ease his daughter’s pain.

Paige Skarratts at mum Tania and dad Jacob's wedding at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane

“But it means everything that she’s still here,” he adds. “It was extremely tough to be told there was nothing more anyone could do to save her. I’m not afraid to admit I cried. I was heartbroken.

“But Paige gives me the strength to keep on going. My main priority is her and I’m just here to do everything I can for her.”

As for what the future holds?

Paige Skarratts (right) with her sister Imogen before she became ill

“When they operated, they could only get a third of the tumour out because it's got one of the main blood vessels going through it,” he explains.

“They can’t remove any more so chemo and radiation are needed, but we need her to be strong enough to handle it.

“Right now she’s just not strong enough so we might look at that in the new year.”

Since the Gold Coast Bulletin’s exclusive story of how Paige’s parents organised a wedding within 24 hours to ensure she realised her dream of being their flower girl, the couple has been overwhelmed by support from both here and overseas.

Yet another fundraiser, including auctions and raffles, will be held tomorrow night (Friday November 3) at Arundel Hills Country Club, with tickets still available.

“I don’t have words to describe what all our friends, family and the community have done for us,” Jake said. “It means the pressure isn’t there to rush straight back to work and we can just focus on looking after our girls.”