Girl, 4, can only whisper after being diagnosed with rare illness which causes tumours to grow on her vocal cords

Ellie Dixon, four, from Irlam in Greater Manchester, left, top right and as a baby bottom right, was diagnosed with respiratory papillomas, a condition which causes wart-like growths to appear on the vocal chords and voice box. The youngster has already faced more than 25 operations as doctors remove the non-cancerous lumps, which continue to grow, threatening to block her airways and leave her struggling to breathe. The condition, which affects one in a million children, is caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and sufferers are often infected during childbirth. Ellie's mother Rachel Lynch, top right, said: 'It is no life for her to lead, she wants to be able to shout and scream like any normal child does and she can’t properly express herself because people struggle to hear her. We're just hoping school will help her find her voice