Like countless other parents, Marylene Debono delights in witnessing her daughter’s developmental milestones. The five-year-old recently managed to climb the front step to their home all by herself, her mother says proudly.

For little Ella, who suffers from central core disease, movement does not come easy. The condition causes muscle weakness and the little girl’s legs often give way beneath her, causing her to frequently tumble to the ground.

“I’m seeing her improve a bit though,” the 27-year-old says.

“She’s no longer falling down as often as she used to. The physiotherapist is also teaching her to climb up the stairs in a sideways manner, which makes it less difficult for her.

“Also, the warmer weather makes things easier for us.”

Like her daughter, Ms Debono also suffers from the rare neuromuscular disease but the condition is much more severe in her case. She is a wheelchair user, having been found at birth to have bilateral dislocation of the hips.

See video above.