Evie Toombes, a 20-year-old woman from Skegness, Lincolnshire, is making headlines as she takes legal action against her mother's general practitioner (GP) for millions of dollars.
She firmly believes that her birth should have never taken place and holds the GP responsible for allowing it to happen.
Evie was born with a condition called spina bifida, a developmental disorder where the spine and spinal cord fail to develop properly in the womb, resulting in a gap in the spine.
This condition has significantly impacted her life, requiring her to be connected to tubes for a portion of each day.
Despite the challenges she faces, Evie has pursued a career in showjumping and has competed against both disabled and able-bodied riders.
Her achievements have not gone unnoticed, as she has appeared on ITV's show 'Hidden Disabilities: What's The Truth?' and even had the opportunity to meet the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when she won the Inspiration Young Person Award at a Well-child charity event in 2018.
Evie is suing her mom's doctor, Dr. Philip Mitchell, because she believes he didn't give her mom the right advice before she got pregnant.
She thinks Dr. Mitchell should have told her mom about taking folic acid supplements before getting pregnant. Folic acid is important for preventing spina bifida, the condition she was born with.
Evie claims that if her mom had known about this, she wouldn't have decided to have a baby, and Evie wouldn't exist today.
During the proceedings in the High Court, Evie's barrister, Susan Rodway QC, highlighted the emotional weight of the situation.
She emphasized that the decision to start a family was of great importance to Mrs. Toombes, especially because she had lost both her parents at a young age.
The barrister further argued that if Dr. Mitchell had provided adequate advice, Mrs. Toombes would have had a chance to have a "normal, healthy" baby, albeit one who would have been genetically different from Evie.
Dr. Mitchell, the doctor being sued by Evie, disagrees with her claims. He says that he did give Mrs. Toombes good advice about folic acid supplements.
According to him, he would have told her to eat a healthy diet and make sure she had enough folic acid.
He denies ever saying that supplements were not needed. Dr. Mitchell believes he provided reasonable guidance to Evie's mother.
The court is still considering the evidence and arguments presented by both Evie and Dr. Mitchell. Evie has limited mobility, and as she gets older, she will likely need to use a wheelchair more often.
Despite her challenges, she is dedicated to educating children about illnesses that are not easily visible and is actively involved in Nottingham University.
