Mother’s fight for her brave little girl to go to school

Following months of operations, hospital stays and ill health, Leona McMillan is currently missing out on an education as discussions about her future drag on.
Leona McMillan, aged seven, and her mum Jayne McMillan, of Southey.Leona McMillan, aged seven, and her mum Jayne McMillan, of Southey.
Leona McMillan, aged seven, and her mum Jayne McMillan, of Southey.

The youngster, from Sheffield, had previously attended Grenoside Primary School, in the city, but for just four hours a day due to medical reasons.

Her mother Jayne said: “Leona is a really intelligent girl and school is the brightest thing in her life. Each day she gets up and asks me if she can go to school – she gets so fed up of being stuck at home.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The family believes the school has been doing its best to help, but that staff insist they don’t have the skills to cope with Leona’s special medical needs – she has to be fed through an intravenous tube which needs attention in a sterile environment.

Jayne said her daughter had started school normally when she was five, but had since had operations on her bladder, hip and bowel, putting her in hospital for months at a time.

Currently she can go for only five hours a day without being on her nutritional tube.

Jayne has also been told Moss Brook Special School is unable to meet her daughter’s specific needs and she does not feel another alternative, Woolley Wood Special School, is appropriate.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It’s such a shame because Leona loves school and she doesn’t understand what’s going on. I just think she deserves to have an education.

“Leona is very brave, she never cries and never complains, and she gets so down,” she said

A Sheffield Council spokesman refused to respond in detail to Jayne’s concerns.