Nicola Harvie’s daughter, Jessie-Lou, was diagnosed with a rare spinal cord condition in March 2024, but the 14-year-old has been relentlessly determined to return to the stage despite doctors saying she’d never walk again. Nicola revealed that after years of IVF to have Jessie-Lou in the first place, hearing this news was “devastating”.

Working hard with a team of specialists and some state-of-the-art biotechnology, the teen now has her sights firmly set on one day playing Elphaba in Wicked. Regardless of whether she regains her full mobility or not.

Jessie-Lou’s symptoms started in February 2024, when she suddenly felt unwell and noticed weakness in her legs. She realised she “couldn’t really move”.

She told PA Real Life: “I tried to stand and walk to the bathroom, but I was so weak a

See Full Page