Early Struggles and Miraculous Survival
A girl who astonished medical professionals as a newborn by continuing to breathe after life support was turned off is now flourishing as a teenager, thanks to her passion for football.
"She was basically dead when she was born,"says Holly Dalton's mother, Sherrie.
"They worked extensively to save her life."
Despite the efforts, Holly's parents eventually consented to doctors turning off the life support machine, preparing to say their final goodbye. To their amazement, Holly took a breath — a moment her mother describes as
"a breath which changed everything."
Holly was born after a placental abruption that deprived her of oxygen. Doctors predicted she would never walk, talk, or live independently.
Her early years were filled with frequent hospital visits and developmental delays. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, hearing loss, visual impairment, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and severe anxiety.
Her deafness went unnoticed until she was five years old.
"They put the hearing aids on and she heard a bird outside,"Mrs Dalton recalls.
"Then she turned to my voice for the first time."
Football as a Transformative Force
Currently, Holly participates weekly in the Newcastle United Foundation's Neurodiverse Kicks programme, which she credits with
"transforming her life."
Despite intensive therapy, Holly faced social challenges. She was bullied throughout primary and secondary school, which led to agoraphobia and a period when she could not leave her home.
"She didn't want to live anymore,"says Mrs Dalton.
"She'd ask why nobody liked her."
Her situation improved when a support worker from the National Deaf Children's Society referred her to the Newcastle United Foundation's programme, designed for young people with additional needs.
Holly immediately felt a sense of belonging.
"She didn't need to mask,"her mother explains.
"It was the first place she truly fit in."
Despite her visual impairment and deafness, Holly plays on the wing and connects with the ball
"nine times out of ten."
For Holly, the sessions provide more than just sport.
"It takes my mind off everything,"she says.
"I get bullied a lot but, when I'm here, I forget about it."
Although she lives in Newcastle, Holly supports Liverpool and proudly wears a Liverpool shirt beneath her Newcastle top.
Community Impact and Encouragement
Sarah Burn, the Premier League Kicks coordinator for the foundation, highlights Holly's progress as evidence of the power of inclusive sport.
"It's more than football,"Burn states.
"Families see their children smiling, confident, laughing - sometimes for the first time.
Everyone has their own challenges, but they all belong here."
Holly encourages other young people facing bullying or mental health struggles to
"be strong."
"Don't let them get in your head,"she advises.
Her mother describes her as a
"fighter"and credits football with giving her
"a life outside fear."
In recognition of her resilience and dedication to the sport, Holly was recently named the Premier League Barclays Community Icon of the Month for March 2024.
Follow BBC Newcastle on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram for more updates.
