Ola and James Jordan have provided a fresh update on three-year-old Ella (Picture: Rex/ITV)
Former Strictly Come Dancing professionals Ola and James Jordan have provided an update after fearing their daughter Ella had a serious heart condition.
Just before Christmas, the pair were forced to rush their daughter Ella, 3, to hospital after she came down with a fever – they later found out she had contracted pneumonia and tonsillitis.
On top of contracting a number of coughs and colds, little Ella’s serious recent diagnosis caused doctors to wonder why her immune system was weaker than other kids her age.
Now Ola and James have revealed that doctors are investigating whether Ella might have a hole in her heart, and that her condition is leaving her susceptible to chest infections and other illnesses.
‘Ella was first diagnosed with a heart murmur a couple of years ago,’ Ola said, adding, ‘Then, just before her second birthday, she was at the hospital and the doctor said: “I’m not sure about her heart.”
Ella was rushed to A&E over the festive period (Picture: Instagram)
James, who was a finalist on Celebrity Big Brother in 2014, appeared on the BBC dancing competition between 2006 and 2013, while Ola danced between 2006 and 2015.
She continued, speaking to Hello magazine: ‘[The doctor said], “There’s a little hole that needs to be double checked with another doctor.”‘
James then added more detail to the story: ‘We were told that if she does have a hole in the heart, they can’t do anything until she’s older and stronger, so they suggested we wait.’
Ola and James have been sharing updates on Ella’s condition (Picture: Instagram)
Brave Ella had a cannula put into her arm (Picture: Instagram)
Ola then revealed that watching the nurses put a cannula in Ella’s arm was ‘horrendous’, adding that James was forced to hold their daughter in a ‘bear hug’ in order for the nurses to get the IV drip in her arm safely.
Once the ordeal was over, Ola said: ‘As a parent you feel so helpless with your child so ill. I stayed overnight in the hospital with Ella because only one parent was allowed, even though James also wanted to stay.’
At the time, James wrote on social media: ‘He wrote: ‘My little warrior! We are still at Pembury Hospital but she has finally turned a corner after five days and long nights of fighting an extremely high temperature.
Doctors fear Ella may have a hole in her heart (Picture: Instagram)
‘It started Monday but on Wednesday night things got pretty bad and temperature was 40+ so took her to A&E at roughly midnight. Where a doctor gave her a quick look over and said it was a viral infection.
‘[The doctor] told us to continue with Calpol/Ibuprofen and take her home and it would take its course. I did try to say it seems more like a chest infection than a viral infection but I’m not the expert. He also told us that it wasn’t because he had listened to her chest.
‘After 2 more terrible nights of her temperature staying around 39 – 40 and her throwing up several times in her sleep. And even though we felt we were maybe wasting the doctors and nurses time … we decided to take her back to A and E.’
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Ella was taken to A&E before Christmas.