child's natural rapid development. It means many children, like Evie, are not diagnosed until they reach the age of five. 'We went to see a specialist when Evie was about two. She had been quite late in walking and had never really stabilised,' Mr Read said. 'She always appeared a little off balance and had trouble standing still. The specialist said she thought it was hypermobility of the joints and suggested physiotherapy to stabilise her movements.' Early symptoms: Evie displayed some balance problems as she learned to walk My little girl: Mr Read said the day their received Evie's diagnosis was the worst of their lives However, the couple sought help again after her primary school teachers told them Evie's fine motor skills were not developing as quickly as her classmates. A physiotherapist suggested she see a specialist and while they were waiting for an appointment Mrs Read found a website about A-T while searching for Evie's symptoms. 'We met with a specialist neurologist two days later and she agreed that the symptoms, which included small red veins in the eyes, were consistent with A-T.' Evie at one-day-old: Babies with A-T do not display any symptoms The condition is heriditary, which means while most children have a one in 100,000 of developing the disease, the couple's two sons - Wilf, 3, and Albie, nine-months - had a one in four chance of having it. After an anxious five-week wait for test results Mr and Mrs Read were told last year