When her niece underwent a second scoliosis operation six years ago in London, Christine Grech did not have her rosary beads with her, so she tied five knots on a plastic bag and prayed for support.

“I stayed by her side all along, praying hard. The hospital informed the Maltese authorities that she was not going to make it and a nurse was sent from Malta for support. But, as always, resilient Jennifer came back to us.

“So when she recently developed complications in her stomach, we could not believe there was nothing to do.

“Thank God, a consultant who put Jennifer before her disability told us there was something that could be done although at a higher risk because of her condition.

“And, once again, Jennifer, now aged 30, pulled through,” Ms Grech, 60, recounted.

Ms Grech is a mother of five and loves her niece as one of her own. She supports Jennifer’s mother, Doris Caruana, who is hard of hearing and a widow, and believes that the mother and daughter’s resilience have made her a stronger woman.

When Jennifer was born, the girl was immediately put in an incubator as she was too small. She started suffering from seizures when she was just seven months old and was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

“From the very beginning we were told not to grow fond of her as she might not make it. And, yet, she hangs on. She comes back every time,” Ms Grech added.

Following the scoliosis operations, Jennifer started developing stomach problems but the family was told it was nothing serious. However, the symptoms persisted and she lost a lot of blood. Her weight dropped to 15 kilos.

“I was really scared because I could tell she was tired. We were told her disability was so severe that she would not make it through an operation.

“At one point, her mum and I told her she could let go and join Our Lady. She was suffering so much we told her we’ll be fine. We just wanted her to be better.

“But seeing her resilience made us persist. You just cannot believe there is nothing to do when you see her strength and determination.”

Free of pain, she is so sweet and allows us to hug her

One fine day, some 18 months ago, consultant Jo Etienne Abela got interested in Jennifer’s case and provided a sliver of hope.

Following some tests, he informed the family that her diaphragm was not complete and this had given rise to other issues including hernia and what is known as Barrett’s oesophagus.

The consultant laid down the cards: something could be done but Jennifer was at a higher risk because of her fragility. He suggested operating on her in paediatrics, despite being an adult, because of her size.

Jennifer was informed of the risk and she remained calm, giving her go-ahead. The operation was held in Glasgow, funded by the Maltese government, on April 24 and Jennifer came around within 48 hours.

Since then she has not been to hospital once – a huge relief, considering that before she used to be admitted at least once a week.

“Jennifer has become a completely different person. Free of pain, she is so sweet and allows us to hug her. In the past years she used to get agitated and wouldn’t let anyone touch her.

“We could not take her out of the house and she spent many sleepless nights. It’s a different story now. We are all able to sleep.

“If the cards were laid out before us immediately we would all have suffered less. Mr Abela put Jennifer before her disability.

“I believe relatives should be given all the options with all the bad and good. Let them decide. With all the good intentions, don’t decide for my daughter or niece.”