22 Kids and Counting star Tillie Radford has undergone a major leg operation. The 16-year-old travelled to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool for a 10-hour procedure to reconstruct her knee and lengthen her leg. She is now recovering at home with her family.
Health struggles from a young age
Tillie developed a serious bone infection when she was 18 months old. The infection caused her left leg to be 3.5cm shorter than her right, leading to many hospital visits over the years. When she was nine, she had an external mechanical lengthening frame fitted.
The Channel 5 docu-series, which follows the UK's largest family, is back on Sunday nights at 8pm. Viewers have been given an insight into Tillie's life as one of the youngest members of the Radford household.
Dreams of figure skating
Two years ago, Tillie shared on the show that her dream was to become a figure skater. Her dad Noel was happy to book her a private lesson, but she admitted anxiety was holding her back from performing. She told Channel 5 viewers: "I have a massive phobia of being embarrassed when there's other people around."
She added: "There's a lot of days where I take a break from walking on my tiptoes when I was just watching the number of people staring. I get funny looks or whispering behind the hand about it and it just gets me down." Tillie has just finished secondary school and is now focusing on applying for college as she continues to build her confidence.
Recovery at home
After the surgery, Tillie continued her recovery in hospital with ongoing physiotherapy. Her parents were overjoyed when they were finally able to announce they were bringing her home. Taking to Facebook, they posted: "We are honestly so incredibly proud of Tillie. She has done absolutely amazing and shown so much strength and determination throughout her recovery, especially with all her physio. It really is a fantastic hospital [Alder Hey] and we are so grateful for everything they have done for her. Now let's get our girl home!"
However, the journey since leaving hospital has not been entirely smooth. The Radfords posted a Facebook update about Tillie having a "really rought night". They shared: "Her pain got so bad we had to ring Alder Hey at 1.30am this morning as we just couldn't do anything to help her." Despite the setback, they have thankfully reported that the teen is feeling a "little better" and is still on the mend following the operation. 22 Kids and Counting continues every Sunday at 8pm on Channel 5.
