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2004 August 20 - Transplant Girl Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Life Saving Op

 NEWS RELEASE

20 August 2004

Transplant Girl Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Life Saving Op

On 21 August, Anna Lumby of Oswestry will reach a major milestone when she celebrates the 10th anniversary of her life saving liver transplant.

Ten-year-old Anna was born with biliary atresia, a rare condition in which the bile ducts in the liver become progressively blocked, leading to irreversible liver damage. At just 10 months’ old Anna had to undergo a life saving liver transplant.

Caroline, Anna’s mother, explained: "Anna was first diagnosed at her six week check up. I had had my suspicions that something wasn’t right before this, as she was eating well but not gaining weight. When the doctor saw her he immediately referred us to the local hospital which sent us to Birmingham Children’s Hospital the next day. At two months’ old Anna had a Kasai operation, which. aims to stop further liver damage. A couple of months later we were told the operation hadn’t worked and that she would need a transplant. We were devastated."

Over the last ten years, the family has been helped by the Children's Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF), a unique national charity that fights liver disease in children and young people. Caroline said: "When Anna was diagnosed we knew nothing about liver disease and I’d never even been to hospital, so it was all new to me. After the Kasai operation, one of CLDF’s support team called us. I can’t explain the relief of knowing that they were there and that there were other people in the same situation. I now know that two children a day are diagnosed with liver disease, but at the time it felt like we were the only ones. When we heard from CLDF I had as much literature off them as possible as I was hungry for information on Anna’s condition. The Foundation has been a tremendous support."

CLDF is the only organisation of its kind, fighting childhood liver diseases through funding pioneering research and educating health care professionals and the general public. It provides professional, emotional support to families affected.

Catherine Arkley, chief executive of the Foundation, said: "All our best wishes and congratulations go to Anna on reaching such a major milestone. Children like Anna are alive today thanks, amongst other things, to CLDF’s efforts in funding cutting edge research into some of the 100 different liver diseases that can affect children and young people. It is only through the help of our supporters and raising awareness that we can continue this vital work."

Anna is now doing extremely well and has to return to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for check-ups every six months. She enjoys drama and singing and is a member of local drama group Stage Two.

Mrs Lumby concluded: "I’m so proud of Anna as she is a very brave, positive and happy little girl who never moans about her illness. She has had a few problems in the past few years but she has never let this dampen her spirits."

If you would like more information on the work of CLDF please call 0121 212 3839, e-mail info@childliverdisease.org or visit www.childliverdisease.org

ENDS

For more information about this story contact Rebecca O’Connor on 0121 212 6012 or e-mail rebeccaOC@childliverdisease.org