A 15-YEAR-OLD Brentwood school girl is miraculously progressing in a national singing competition just two years after surviving a very rare life-threatening lung condition.
At one stage Marilena Gant, a pupil at Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School, was possibly minutes from death after serial lung haemorrhages in Great Ormond Street Hospital's intensive care unit.
But last week she took a step closer to making the grand final of the Open Mic UK contest, which will be held at the O2.
Only two years ago, in June 2010, Milena was sitting at home watching TV when she began coughing up blood.
"I felt this strong sensation and I just needed to cough and it was blood, I was absolutely terrified," she said.
"I remember waking up in Great Ormond Street and not knowing where I was and that was quite frightening."
Months later, Marilena was diagnosed with pulmonary arteriovenous malformation. Doctors managed to stop the internal bleeding successfully after sealing up the problem vein.
They told her mum, Katherine Gant, 44: "We are going to do what we can".
At the end of October 2010, an X-ray revealed that the risk of the condition spreading to other parts of the body had been avoided and all was well.
Marilena, who lives in Stock Road, Billericay, admits that the realisation that she "may not have made it through", while in hospital, helped her understand just how much she actually enjoys singing.
The teenager, whose heroines include Maria Callas, Julie Andrews and West End star Sierra Boggess, began taking singing lessons at Cadenza Music School in Blackmore, nine months ago, and when she saw the auditions for Open Mic UK, she beat her nerves to apply and make it through the first round at Pitsea Leisure Centre on September 8, with an Italian version of the Dolly Parton hit, I will Always Love You (L'amore Sei Tu).
And for the next round, which takes place at the Towngate Theatre, in Basildon, on October 14, Marilena is already working an Italian translation of Celine Dion classic My Heart Will Go On (Il Mio Cuore Va) which she hopes will see her through and herald the start of a career as a singer.
"I would love to have a career as a singer of classical music and cross over into musicals," she said.
The winner of the final, in January, will walk away with a £5,000 cash prize.
