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2005 March 8 - Brave Cancer Tot Celebrates 1st Anniversary of Transplant

BRAVE LIVER CANCER TOT CELEBRATES 1st ANNIVERSARY OF TRANSPLANT

Three-year old Lily Williamson from Southam in Warwickshire has a lot to celebrate on 22 March when she and her family mark the first anniversary of her life-saving liver transplant.

Lily was diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma (liver cancer) at just two and a half.  Her mum Janet explains: “Lily first showed signs of being ill in the autumn of 2003.She came home from nursery with a virus as did eight other children at the nursery  but unlike the other children, Lily still had the virus three weeks later.”

The family doctor spotted that Lily’s liver was slightly enlarged and sent her to Warwick Hospital where, after a number of tests, they diagnosed potential cancer. Lily was then referred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital where the cancer was confirmed.  Janet continues:  “When we were told that Lily had cancer we were devastated. She had to undergo intense chemotherapy every two weeks as the disease was very advanced and the whole of her liver was covered in cancer cells.  During her treatment she didn’t cry or complain she actually looked forward to going to the hospital to see the fish.”

The family was told that, depending on the outcome of the chemotherapy, Lily might need a liver transplant.  Janet says:  “When she was first diagnosed Lily’s condition deteriorated rapidly and pretty soon she couldn’t walk because her stomach was swollen and she didn’t want to drink or eat; it was heartbreaking. On 11 February she was admitted to theatre for a transplant but once they opened her up they found another tumour outside the liver which they removed but the transplant was abandoned.”

After three more sessions of chemotherapy and just over six weeks later an organ became available and Lily went back into the operating theatre.

Throughout this ordeal the family was helped enormously by the Children's Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) a unique Midlands-based national charity that fights liver disease in children and young people.  Janet continues: “When we were first told of Lily’s condition I went on the CLDF website which provided us with lots of useful information.  Then at the hospital I met the charity’s family support officer. It was good to know that there was somebody to talk to.”

Lily is now doing well and has to have check-ups every three months.  Janet concludes: “Lily is doing fine now and if you didn’t know what she has been through you would never guess there was anything wrong.  She went back to nursery and started pre-school in September and loves it.  All I hope for Lily is that she stays well and can enjoy life with her twin brother Freddie, as just over 12 months ago we wondered whether she would survive at all.”

Catherine Arkley, chief executive of the Foundation, which is currently celebrating its Silver Jubilee, said: “I’m pleased to hear that Lily is doing so well and has settled in at nursery and pre-school.  Most people don’t realise that children get liver disease, yet two children a day are diagnosed in this country and these are just the ones we know about.

“Liver disease doesn’t discriminate and can affect anybody’s child, which is why we believe that effective research is the key to providing a future for children and young people like Lily.  In the past 25 years the Foundation has sponsored key research to great effect, but there is still an urgent need to find the answers to many childhood liver diseases for which there is no treatment let alone a cure.”

For more information about the work of CLDF or childhood liver disease call 0121 212 3839, e-mail info@childliverdisease.org or visit www.childliverdisease.org

ENDS

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