Isabella Brown has been diagnosed with Turner Syndrome, which affects around one one in 2,000 births
Kristy Dawson Multi-Media Journalist
18:45, 14 Mar 2026
Isabella Brown, five, from South Shields, has Turner Syndrome(Image: Chronicle Live)
A five-year-old girl has been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition which only affects females. Sophie Brown, 31, and her husband Stuart, 34, from South Shields, discovered their daughter Isabella had Turner Syndrome when she was 18 months old.
The condition, which only affects girls, has a number of possible symptoms. Most of those diagnosed with it are smaller than usual and have underdeveloped ovaries, which can affect puberty and cause infertility.
Teacher Sophie and Stuart, who works as an engineer, initially reached out to medics at South Tyneside Hospital about her delayed physical development and the lymphoedema in her right arm, which was causing it to swell.
Isabella was diagnosed with the condition when she was 18 months(Image: Chronicle Live )
Sophie said: “She didn’t actually walk or crawl until she was two years old and she wasn’t able to sit up very well.
“Her feet also pointed inwards. She got diagnosed with Turner Syndrome at one-and-a-half years old.
“I felt very emotional. I felt very uneducated on Turner Syndrome as neither us, or other families, had heard of it.
“It only affects girls and it affects one in every 2000. She is missing a full X chromosome.”
Sophie and Stuart Brown with their daughter Isabella (Image: Chronicle Live)
Sophie said the condition affected Isabella’s heart and she had surgery to have a stent fitted around 12 months ago at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. She said: “One of the lines away from her heart was narrow so it was to help it to fully open up.
“Without it she would have had a heart attack. It was really worrying. When she was in there it felt almost like time just stood still. It was a very long three hours in total.
“We were really pleased that her surgery went well and she was able to have that surgery. She was in really good care, the staff there are absolutely amazing.”
Isabella has had to undergo heart surgery (Image: Chronicle Live)
Sophie said Turner Syndrome can also impact Isabella’s hearing and her vision. She said: “She goes for regular hearing tests and her hearing is fine at the moment.
“She’s generally shorter than all of her peers. She’s recently started a daily growth hormone injection to give her an extra few centimetres. In terms of her physical development, she’s very aware of things. If she was climbing, she would be very cautious.
“She is able to walk and do everything as normal. At the moment she does swimming, gymnastics and dance, she does keep up with her peers.
“She’s so determined and resilient, she doesn’t give up on anything. She’s such a creative, loving young girl.”
L-R Sophie, Isabella and Stuart (Image: Chronicle Live )
Sophie said that as Isabella grows she will probably not start puberty and will have to have medication to bring it on. She said that her daughter may also have infertility problems and may not be able to conceive or carry children.
She said: “There’s lots to it and not all girls are affected in the same way. Some are affected more than others. It just depends on the child really.”
Sophie has created a Facebook group called ‘Turner Syndrome UK – North East England’ in the hope of being able to connect with others in the region, specifically the South Shields and Sunderland area, who have been diagnosed with Turner Syndrome.
Isabella Brown(Image: Chronicle Live)
She said: “We want to raise awareness of Turner Syndrome. We found that the Turner Syndrome support groups are very American based. I recently created a Turner Syndrome group just for this area.
“I want to be able to talk about it and for people to know what it is. It would be nice for people to go ‘oh yeah, I’ve actually heard of that before’.
“We haven’t actually introduced Isabella to Turner Syndrome and what it is. But I think it would be nice, when she does know, to be able to reach out to people who are similar to her in that regard. I think it would be nice for both sides.”
According to the NHS, there is no cure for Turner Syndrome but treatment and support is available to help manage symptoms.
Turner syndrome is a genetic condition in females caused by a missing or partially missing X chromosome, affecting about 1 in 2,000 births
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