THERE are 206 bones in the body of little Emily Nilsen, who has been diagnosed with brittle bone disease. Most of these bones pose a potential threat to the six-year-old, who, despite her circumstances, was thrilled to embark on her first day of school today.

As the name suggests, the hereditary and congenital disease often results in extremely fragile bones. Many people like Emily who suffer from the disease (also known as osteogenesis imperfecta, or OI) are  prone to bone fractures.

A tumble or a fall could be fatal for them. But, despite living a  sheltered life, Emily did not show an inch of nervousness as she said goodbye to her mother, Tammy, and dad, Mark, outside the Grade 1 classroom at Our Lady Fatima Convent School, where she began her first day of school along with thousands of other little ones around the country today.

Her proud parents said that they were excited for their bright-eyed daughter. “It is a big step for her, and she has been looking forward to it for quite a while,” said Mark, who has also been diagnosed with the disease.

Mum, Tammy, joked how Emily woke her up this morning, asking her to help her with her uniform buttons. “Her health is not a concern for us at the moment. She hasn’t had a fracture in four years, and she is doing very well,” she added.

“We want to give her a normal life as best we can, so we have hired a facilitator, Sarah Baddock, who will be acting in the shadows just to keep an eye on her,” explained Mark.

Sarah’s job is to make judgment calls to prevent Emily doing anything dangerous that other kids her age would attempt without thinking twice, and also to provide immediate medical assistance.

After snapping a few happy photos, Emily nearly forgot to say goodbye to her parents as she rushed to class. It would seem that nothing could dampen this Grade 1’s excitement.