BBC News
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image captionTegan Harvey loved opening her 18th birthday presents, her mother Nicki Eley said
A cheeky teenager who was told as a girl she might not see her seventh birthday due to a rare genetic disease is celebrating reaching adulthood.
Tegan Harvey, 18, from Walsham-le-Willows, Suffolk, has mitochondrial disease, which causes seizures and affects her brain and muscles.
Her mother Nicki Eley said her fighter was the joy of our lives .
She said reaching the milestone was testament to her fantastic team of doctors and her own determination.
image copyrightNiki Eley
image captionNicki Eley said Tegan was non-verbal and non-mobile and loved life