From the Three Kings Parade to the ICU: The Ordeal of a Scottish Girl in Alicante

What promised to be a holiday trip to experience Christmas in Alicante has turned into a nightmare for young Charlotte Meek and her family. The 13-year-old Scottish girl has been hospitalised since January 6th at the General Hospital of Alicante after suffering what is known as alveolar haemorrhage.

Days after the Three Kings Parade, one of the events that prompted the Meeks' visit to the Alicante province, the girl began coughing and vomiting blood, leading to her admission to the Doctor Balmis Hospital in Alicante. The family explains that doctors are exhausting all possible treatments to save Charlotte from an illness that threatens to cause respiratory failure.

Since her admission, the young girl has shown slight improvements but remains in a critical condition. "We have gone from being extremely happy to be on holiday to the utter devastation of seeing our daughter breathing through a machine," the Meeks explain.

In their latest update on the girl's health status, coinciding with the 12th day of her admission, the family explains that Charlotte is now awake and able to communicate: "She is a true fighter and a 'superstar'." To cover their stay in Alicante during her hospitalisation, the parents have launched an online fundraising campaign, which has already raised nearly £2,000.

This recent issue adds to the delicate health condition the girl suffers from, known as 'syndrome without a name' (SWAN). In her case, she has a genetic condition resembling symptoms of Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) and Angelman Syndrome (AS), but for which she has not yet received a diagnosis.

The Meek family founded a charity last year (Smile children's charity) operating through a shop in the Scottish county of Larkhall, raising funds to aid in the treatment of sick children. The charity was established in memory of Justin, another of the Meeks' children who died ten years ago, also suffering from a rare disease.