Star's Incredible Journey My Life

That's me, Tiana, with my big sister, Star.

We've both got a rare condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta,

which we call Brittle Bones. This means we have to be

really careful what we do, as our bones can break very easily.

I've broken 37 times, but including my spine fractures, 45 times.

Star has bow legs and she finds it hard to walk long distances

and to climb stairs.

To help her she wears her splints most of the time,

and if she gets really tired, Star uses her wheelchair.

This summer, my sister is facing a big, big challenge.

Star is going on her first school trip ever, to Paris.

She'll be away from us for the first time.

Even though she's never walked more than two flights of stairs before,

she will try to walk up over 700 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

I'm right underneath, it's massive and I'm feeling quite nervous.

This is Star's Incredible Journey.

My name is Star.

I'm her sister, Tiana.

BOTH: And we're from Manchester!

When I was one, I leant over to reach for a toy and I broke my arm,

and the next day I did the same thing, and I broke my other arm.

Once I just banged my arm onto my knee

and it snapped, just like that.

When I was really young, I stood up and both my legs broke.

I was walking out the bathroom, I twisted my ankle and it just broke.

I slipped on some water, and I broke my femur, which is in my thigh,

and I looked like a frog because I had a green cast on.

Brittle Bones is a genetic condition.

Genetic means that you are born with it

and you can't catch it off someone like a disease,

and if you go near someone with Brittle Bones,

you won't get Brittle Bones yourself.

Brittle Bones means our bones are weaker

and not as strong as someone without Brittle Bones.

They would have broken one or two bones in their entire life

but I've broken nine bones and Star has broken 37 bones.

Me, my little sister Tiana, and my mum have brittle bones.

But my older sister, Jasmine, and my dad doesn't have it.

There are about 800 children in the UK who have Brittle Bones like us,

and because we've both got it, we understand each other really well.

Tiana is talkative. She loves singing and dancing.

Sometimes she can get a bit annoying, like other sisters can.

Budge it, budge it.

You don't put it back in, Tiana, don't cheat.

Sometimes we get on with each other.

Because we break really easily, there are things Star and I

would love to do, but we just can't.

I can't do contact sport.

I can't do trampolining, bouncy castles.

I can't go in big crowds, in case I get knocked.

I can't go roller-skating.

My legs usually ache if I do a bit of walking.

Even with all of this,

my big sister, Star, is going to be taking on a massive challenge.

She's off on a school trip to Paris.

It's my first time being away from home,

it's my first time to be in Paris.

And she is going to try to climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

But she might not make it.

I wanted to do some fund-raising for the Brittle Bones Society,

and I thought that being sponsored to walk up the Eiffel Tower

would be one of the best ideas.

The tower is really big - it's over 324 metres tall

and Star will have to use the stairs inside the legs of the tower

to climb all the way up.

That's 704 steps, 684 more than she's ever managed.

I don't do that much walking,

and I've never climbed that amount of steps before.

I don't think I'll get all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower, but I'll try.

If she gets tired out, she'll have to go all way back down

to the bottom of the steps, so I'm quite worried for her.

Star read somewhere that it was 600 steps to the top of the Tower.

'And even though she's only ever walked two flights of stairs..' Ready, go.

'..we decide to work out how long it would take her to get to the top.'

..eight, nine, ten, 11, 12, 13. 13 steps!

600 divided by 13.

46 times!

You've got to walk up and down the stairs 46 times.

STAR LAUGHS

Go on!

-Hurry up!

-One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight,

nine, ten,

11, 12, 13... Phew!

It'll take you ten hours to climb up the Eiffel Tower!

Star likes to help other people.

That's why she's doing this

and I want to help her raise as much money as possible.

I'm going to be getting sponsors from the teachers in my school

and other people.

My target is £894, because I think that's how high

the Eiffel Tower is in feet.

I'll sponsor Star at least one or two pounds

because I'm trying to save up my money.

So that's two pounds from ME,

but Star will need to go flat out at school tomorrow to get her friends to sponsor her.

It's eight o'clock and it's time for Star to go to school.

She usually wears her splints to get around.

They're like plastic legs.

They go in your shoes and they go up the back of your leg.

When I first got my splints,

I didn't want anyone to know about them, so I wore pants for school so I could hide them.

Now, nine months later, I think I've told most people.

Most of them have guessed now

and they're not bothered, so I feel less embarrassed wearing them now.

'Because of her brittle bones, Star doesn't walk to school with her friends.

'She goes a taxi on her own.'

Star always arrives early

so the other students don't bump into her and break her bones.

This would be a disaster,

so she is always helped by her friend Megan

and Learning Support Assistant Mrs Taylor.

What's your first lesson today, madam?

'Miss Taylor is a teaching assistant.

'She takes care of me during the school day.

'We get along really well. She's, like, the best teacher.'

-So how much are you hoping to raise for your sponsor form?

-£984.

-Very good, are you on target for getting that money?

-I don't know.

Star can't play in the playground or walk around the corridors

with other students, either, so she has to wait until everything is quiet.

What have you got now?

-French.

-Come on, then.

Miss Taylor takes me to my lessons

so I'm not in a rush, so I'm in the classroom before the bell goes.

BELL RINGS

Star is having her last French lesson before her trip to Paris.

OK, year eights, you're going to start having your French conversation

so that you're ready for when we go to Paris to make sure

you can talk French all the time we're there.

Star, what was it you wanted to know?

We need to know what "to walk up 600 steps" is.

OK, what's "to do"?

-Fais...

-"Faire", well done,

"Je voudrais faire". "Fais" is I do.

"Je voudrais faire" - I would like to do - "600 steps"?

CHILDREN: Je voudrais faire...

-Six...

-Six...cent...

-..cent...

-..marches.

-I don't think we would LIKE to!

-STAR LAUGHS: We'll rephrase that!

Shall we tell Star she's crazy? Tu es folle!

Great, girls.

I leave lessons five minutes before the bell

so I don't get involved in the big rush.

BELL RINGS

At break and dinner, I stay in one room. When it's summer,

and I'm inside school, it sometimes annoys me

because I want to be outside with everyone else.

If I was outside, I could get bumps, which could lead to breaking.

'Star's friends Megan and Shania are helping round up some classmates

'to complete her sponsorship form.'

I think she's gone past...

'As it's too risky for Star to go outside,

they're bringing friends to her.'

-Can I sponsor you £5, please?

-Yeah.

-I'll sponsor you £3.

-Thank you!

What are you raising money for, Star?

-The Brittle Bones Society.

-You all right?

-Hiya!

Thank you.

Thank you.

-Thank you. Thank you.

-See ya.

Thank you. Thank you.

..30, 40, 50, 60, 70...

Does that say 70 or 10?

10. 'It went really well because from today,

'I've got over £200'

thanks to everyone in my class.

£263.20.

That's really good.

Star has to spend lots of time away from the rest of her friends,

which is sometimes lonely for her,

but Mrs Taylor is always there to help out.

I get support in technology,

because if it's wood, it means sawing wood. I can't do that

because my arms ache. And then cooking, if I'm making something,

they ache quite a lot.

In netball, I stay in one part of the court,

and I can play and get involved, but I don't go near the others.

But my sister still needs to raise money

and she'll take any opportunity to reach her sponsorship target.

-You want sponsorship? What for?

-Walking up the Eiffel Tower.

Walking up the Eiffel Tower? Definitely?

You're not going to catch the lift all the way up? You sure?

If my wife sponsors you £10, Miss Barrett has to sponsor you £20!

She earns more than me, we can change it!

'With all this sponsorship, Star better make sure she makes it to the top!'

-Good luck.

-Thank you very much. Well done.

-Thank you.

Every three months,

Star and I have two days off school, which sounds great, but it's not.

We have to go to hospital for medicine that strengthens our bones.

We'd break even more if we didn't do this.

-What bed are we in?

-11 and 12, down at the bottom as usual.

I know when I'm due to come in to hospital because my legs and back start aching.

The worst part of the treatment is having my cannula because it hurts,

but I've got used to it now cos I've been coming so long.

'A cannula is a small tube that is put into our hand using a needle

'and it gives us our medicine.

'I hate having mine fitted!'

Star's first!

I don't want to do it first. Her, please!

Come on, Star, let's get you sorted. Jump on here.

'I've been going to Sheffield Children's Hospital since I was two

'but I still get scared about having my needle.'

Brave, you, aren't you?

All done.

There we go. Perfect.

'Tiana gets really scared about having her needle,

'so I have to comfort her while she gets her needle, cos she gets stressed.'

Let's have your hand.

Good girl.

Very brave, weren't she, Star?

-You making sure I do it correctly?

-Yep.

Actually, I don't like looking away.

Shall we tape it up?

At last, it's over, and we can go back to our beds.

We're hooked up to our medicine for four hours,

and all me and my sister can do is wait...

..and wait...and wait.

'At night, I don't get much sleep.

'It's not very comfortable

'when I'm meant to sleep at night, and I've got to find a new position to sleep in.'

'Even though the treatment strengthens our bones and helps with pain,

'I still really don't know if Star will be strong enough to climb the Eiffel Tower.

'It's two days until the climb

'and we're off to another hospital to see more specialists, Angela and John.

'They're going to check if my sister's legs are strong enough to carry out her challenge.'

What training have you been doing?

Have you been doing all your physio exercises?

-Mm-hmm.

-Yeah? She's a liar!

-Have you been going up and down the stairs?

-No.

So can we just check your splints, is that all right, if we do that first? They're very worn.

-I think these had better be padded before this special trip, don't you?

-Yeah.

'John is adjusting Star's splints

'to help her have the best chance of finishing the climb.'

All right, shall we have a look at your walking there?

Well done, and back.

-OK.

-That is good, that.

-Just come and stand in front of me.

-So you can see why we still need the splints.

-Yeah.

Because they support her foot there.

'The splints help to reduce the pain when Star walks

'and that's going to be really important.'

..Walking with your padded splints on then? Much better.

-They do look better, don't they?

-Yeah. John's done a good enough job to get you to the top.

-Hopefully!

'In just two days' time we'll see if they'll be up to the job.'

-No problem, see you later, Star.

-See you later.

-See you.

'Because of her splints Star can't wear the clothes she wants to

'and she finds it annoying.'

'If I have to wear my splints, I can't wear certain pants or jeans

'and I can't wear'

my favourite shoes because my splints won't fit in them.

'But Mum has got a solution - new shoes!'

Put that over your foot and then start lacing them back up

and then you can be trendy and fold them over.

-They'll make my feet look massive.

-They won't.

My mum didn't want me to go. She's really worried about it.

I think she's just nervous about if I break over there

and what she'd have to do.

I am worried that she will fracture and it might ruin the trip.

I'm worried about her getting tired, but she's just determined.

'I'm excited about being away from home for the first time.'

I can show my mum how independent I can be.

Right, ice packs. If your ankle or anything gets swollen,

or your knees, then I've got you some support bandages.

I know I'm being mad but you've just got to be careful.

Ankle support, knee support, ice box... She's being VERY careful!

I got you plasters in case your shoes are rubbing.

You don't have to take all of them.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Why are you laughing?

You're taking the mickey out of me now! They might come in useful.

'I think my mum's nervous'

and worried and scared about me going away because it's my first time away from her.

My first time away from home.

She'll probably cry!

'In just 12 hours, my sister will be off to France

'and we still haven't raised enough money.'

Who's sponsored today at school, Tiana?

One teacher sponsored me five and then another sponsored £10.

'We've got a target of £984 to raise but we'll only get all the money

'if Star makes it to the top of the tower.'

649, and what is 984 take 649?

-Got to do your maths.

-335.

SHE EXHALES

Can we do it?

Can you do it?

'As Star is off to Paris in the morning,

'it's up to Mum and me to round up the sponsors to hit our final target.'

'It's seven o'clock and this is it.

'Star's first school trip ever is about to begin.'

I want you to text me

when you get to your ferry, text me when you get to France.

You're climbing the Eiffel Tower tomorrow.

-Do you know how big it is?

-Massive.

-This suitcase does my head in.

-I can't drag it cos then it'll fall.

Mmm...

So she's got bandages and she's got plasters, about 500.

-Don't worry about it.

-That's why her case is that big.

She's got a chemist in there!

And she's off.

It's a really long way to Paris - about 500 miles -

and it's going to take them the whole day to get there.

The coach takes seven hours to get to Dover

and then they're catching the ferry to cross the Channel to France.

Oh my gosh, big boat.

It's the first time Star has been on a ferry

and she needs to take care she doesn't slip and break a bone.

-It's gorgeous.

-There's a boat over there. I didn't even notice!

Then there's two over there and one over there. Two, one and one.

An hour and a half later, Star arrives in France.

She's still got seven hours before she gets to the hotel in Paris.

-There's mine! I'm tired.

-I just want my bed.

-Can I have the key, then?

We set off at seven and we've been travelling for 15 hours

and we've only just got to the hotel.

I'm climbing the Eiffel Tower tomorrow

and I'm feeling a bit nervous.

I'm going to try my best to get the top.

It's the big day.

Mum and I are back at home waiting for Star and Shania to call -

we've got some exciting news for them.

-Hia. You all right?

-BOTH: Yeah.

-Star has raised over £140 at school.

You've got about £850 at the moment.

-That's well good!

-I know.

-When you get back, you should thank

all the teachers at our school.

-I'll go to your school.

-Bonne chance.

That's "good luck" in French, we've been learning! Good luck, Star.

-Be careful.

-See ya.

Star has to make sure her splints are on properly

if she's going to get through the biggest day of her life.

I think there's a chance that I'll get all the way to the top.

-Ready to go?

-Yeah.

There are so many things to see in Paris, but Star'd better be careful

she doesn't tire herself out,

or she won't be able to achieve her challenge.

I'm making of scrapbook of Paris.

Star and her friends are also taking a boat trip along the River Seine,

where they get their first glimpse of the enormous Eiffel Tower.

-Oh my gosh, it's big!

-I know.

-We still walking up it?

-Think you can do it?

I don't know, but I'm going to try and go all the way to the top.

-I'm a bit scared. What about you, are you still excited?

-Yeah!

I'm ready.

-Bonjour!

-'With the climb less than an hour away,

'will Star be fit enough to take it on?'

-I need a quick sleep before I walk up the Eiffel Tower.

-No, you don't.

Star uses her wheelchair if she's really tired, so things must be bad.

I use my wheelchair if I'm going on a long trip where it includes

a lot of walking, but I really don't like using it

because I feel embarrassed, because people stare at me when I'm in it.

Star sees the Eiffel Tower close-up for the first time

and she and the others who are climbing with her - Shania, Lucy

and Mrs Taylor realise what they have let themselves in for.

-Oh!

-Oh my gosh!

-Is it as big as what you thought it was?

-A lot bigger.

I'm right underneath - it's massive and I'm feeling quite nervous.

I think I'll achieve the first level,

-but it's well bigger than I thought it'd be.

-It's going to be tiring.

I get out of breath really quickly.

Star's first challenge is the climb up to level one. That's 347 steps!

Then, if she's not too tired,

it's another 357 steps to the final level two.

I'm scared.

Miss, look at that! Oh, my gosh!

The rest of Star's class is taking a much quicker route - the lift.

That will get them to the top in minutes.

-Star's brave, taking the stairs.

-I wouldn't like to go up the steps -

I'd be too tired, but I think Star'll be able to do it.

-It looks like it's going to be a VERY long climb.

-Right, here we go.

-I'm tired already!

-Don't say that!

Star sets off climbing the stairs really fast

and Mrs Taylor is worried.

-Just go slow.

-I don't like this. How many have I done?

-Going past 40 now.

What have we got to now? 100!

She's going so quickly, she's already halfway to the first stage.

-140.

-How are you feeling?

-A bit nervous.

I've just done 140 steps. I'm a bit tired, but I'm OK.

-How many have we done now?

-170.

-170!

-Whoo! Oh, my gosh. 230.

-Wow.

Wow. 250, I think.

That is scary. Oh, my gosh - there's no banister!

-There we go!

-320. First floor! Whoo!

-Right, can we do the second one?

-Star's made it to the first level -

that's more steps than she's ever climbed before!

I really didn't think she'd make it this far!

-Is it as good as what you thought it'd be up here?

-Better!

I want to do the second now.

But she's actually only halfway there

if she wants to hit her goal of reaching the top.

At home, Mum and I are waiting for the call from the top

of the Eiffel Tower IF Star makes it.

-How do you think she's doing?

-I think she's doing well.

-Do you think she's aching yet?

-Yep.

-Do you think she's in pain?

-Yeah.

-Do you?

-Kind of.

-I think she'll be OK.

-I feel a bit nervous sick.

-Do you? I do. I've got butterflies.

-Can I go to the loo?

-No!

Star's slowed right down and it looks as if

she's going to struggle to get much further.

-Her classmates are already on their way down.

-Just keep going.

-You'll be fine.

-Keep going.

-Well done, star - you can do it.

Keep going, you're doing great.

I think she'll do it - she's got enough bravery.

We've sponsored her, so I'm sure she will.

It is quite hard, cos we've just walked down from the second floor.

She gets involved in everything. I think, yeah, she will make it.

She looked like she is doing great.

Kaya said you've got another 600 steps to do, she went, "What?"

Star is really tired now.

She's been climbing for over an hour and must be in pain.

I'm not sure if Mum and I will ever receive the call

from the top of the tower.

-We'll rest here a minute. Are you all right?

-Yeah.

-How's your legs?

-Aching a little bit, but I can carry on.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

-Shoes not hurting or anything like that?

-No.

-Splints not rubbing?

-No.

-It's now been two hours,

but my sister is not someone to give up easily.

-All right?

-500.

-Like, 100 more to go.

-How long have you got to go?

-Like, 100.

-Unfortunately, there are actually 204 more steps to go.

Oh, my gosh!

550.

I thought you said there were only 600 steps!

No, I said there was about!

Mum and I had been waiting three hours.

We're really worried. We should've heard from my sister by now.

Listen, it's half-past three, I think she should be nearly there.

She should definitely... She can't climb for longer than this,

I don't think.

-650!

-Nearly there. Is anyone tired, because I am.

-Me!

-No.

My legs are killing.

Star has been climbing up 700 steps for 3½ hours.

But she's still not quite there yet.

-Whoa!

-Are you all right?

-Don't lose it on the last step. Don't lose it now!

-Done it!

My sister has made it!

This way.

Whoa!

She has climbed the Eiffel Tower!

-Star, you've done it - how's your legs?

-They're aching.

I need to sit down.

Luckily for my sister, to get to the very top of the tower,

you have to take the lift.

-You all right?

-Gosh.

What none of us knew is that there is actually one more set of stairs.

And if Star climbs these final few steps,

she'll have truly completed her challenge...

to reach the very top of the Eiffel Tower.

RINGING TONE

-Hello?

-Mum?

-'Yes?'

-I did it!

Oh, have you?

I'm dead proud of you.

Yeah, I'm at the top of the Eiffel Tower!

Well done, Star, are you all right? Are you in pain?

-'Are your legs aching?'

-Yeah.

-Miss Taylor's got some painkillers for you if you need them.

-OK.

-'Tiana wants to say something.'

-OK.

-I'm very proud of you.

-I love you, Star. You're so amazing.

Mum, you're making me cry!

-We're all sat here crying!

-I'm not!

-How do you feel?

-'Cold, tired and proud.'

-Cold, tired and proud?

You've reached your target, as well.

£985.

That's amazing!

Star's had an incredible journey.

She's been away from us for the first time ever,

she's been on her first school trip and although we really didn't think

she would, she's reached the top of the Eiffel Tower, which means

she's raised nearly £1,000 for other children with Brittle Bones.

'I'm really proud of you, you know.'

So am I.

'How do you feel?'

Really proud.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd