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*Welcome to the CLDF Media Room* | Press Releases | Archived Press Releases | 2004 April 14 - Local Liver Transplant Boy Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of his Transplant
2004 April 14 - Local Liver Transplant Boy Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of his Transplant
? NEWS RELEASE 14 April 2004 LOCAL LIVER TRANSPLANT BOY CELEBRATES 10th BIRTHDAY
Teddy Sellick of Welling who underwent a liver transplant nine and a half years ago celebrated his 10th birthday on Thursday 8th April. Teddy was born with a rare liver condition called biliary artresia, in which the bile ducts become progressively blocked leading to irreversible liver damage. At just 10 months? old, Teddy had to undergo a life saving transplant. Biliary atresia affects 80 babies every year in the UK. This lethal disease must be diagnosed quickly - before the baby is a 8 weeks old. A corrective operation is essential to try and establish bile drainage from the liver to prevent it becoming damaged. If the operation fails as it can it about a third of cases or if the operation is too late (after about 14 weeks of age) then the only chance of a child surviving beyond the age of two is a liver transplant. Biliary atresia is the main reason why infants under the age of one have to undergo a liver transplant. Teddy?s mother Lisa was distraught when she found out. She explained: "It was at Teddy?s eight week check that the doctor noticed he was still jaundiced and referred him to the local hospital. To be told that your child has a liver condition and will need to have a major operation is absolutely devastating. Don and I couldn?t believe it, as apart from his colour he seemed perfectly healthy. At the time we just kept thinking it was something that we had done wrong and that there was something we could have done." Helping the family over the years has been the Children?s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) a unique national charity that fights liver disease in children and young people. Lisa continued: "We first heard about CLDF through the liaison nurse at King?s College Hospital. Whilst there we met Sue Davis, the Foundation?s family support officer who provided us with some excellent and informative literature about Teddy?s condition. It is also a great comfort to know that CLDF is there if we need it. Catherine Arkley chief executive of the Foundation said: "It is wonderful when the Foundation sees children like Teddy who have done so well after transplant, but what needs to be made clear is that transplant is not a cure and children like Teddy will remain on medication for the rest of their lives. This dreadful disease biliary atresia still eludes us. We still do not know the cause of the disease or how to prevent it. The search continues through research to find an answer. CLDF is at the forefront of this fight and hence its constant search for new supporters who can take up the challenge. The Foundation hopes that by funding medical research, we can find some of the causes of liver disease and continue to help children like Teddy to thrive." ? If you would like more information about the work of the Foundation please call 0121 212 3839. ENDS For more information about this story or the work of the Foundation please contact Rebecca O?Connor on 0121 212 6012 or e-mail rebeccaOC@childliverdisease.org ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
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