A LITTLE girl left severely disabled has received a multi-million-pound payout that will transform her life.

Rebecca Morton is as intelligent as any other eight-year-old but complications during birth left her with cerebral palsy, which doctors did not diagnose until 18 months later.

Rebecca cannot walk or talk. She communicates using her own special sign language and depends on her parents for round-the-clock care.

Yesterday, her parents Gill, 37, and John, 36, received a hospital compensation payout following the complications during her birth.

Gill said: "This will give our wonderful daughter the independence to live her life to the full." Gill, from Whickham, Gateshead, gave birth at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary on March 10, 1997, after an 11-hour labour.

When doctors delivered Rebecca, she was not breathing. They resuscitated her and she was transferred to a special baby care unit before being sent home.

But as she got older, Rebecca struggled to walk and her speech failed to develop.

When she was 18-months-old specialists finally diagnosed cerebral palsy.

Gill said: "To me, the fact she wasn't breathing when she was born indicated there was something wrong, but it took 18 months before they could tell us what it was."

Angela Curran, a solicitor specialising in medical negligence with Newcastle-based solicitors Irwin Mitchell, represented the family.

She said: "We believe Rebecca was born in distress and should have been delivered sooner. However, a settlement was reached very quickly and there has been very few legal issues between the two parties."

A spokesperson for Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust said: "The trust greatly regrets the difficulties that arose in relation to the care and treatment provided during Rebecca's delivery on the 11th March, 1997.

"The trust is pleased that financial terms have been agreed."