
Sofia Barnett might only be 21 months old, but she’ll be taking part in a major sporting event this week. The toddler from Southampton who had a liver transplant last July is heading to Nottingham to take part in the British Transplant Games, which takes place from August 1 – 4.
It’s a big occasion, not only for Sofia who’ll be competing in the 25m run, ball throw and bean bag archery, but for her family.
“Sofia was almost eight weeks old when she was diagnosed with the rare and life-threatening disease, biliary atresia,” explains her mum, Sarah. “Just a few days later she underwent surgery, known as a Kasai procedure, which can prevent the need for a transplant for many years, but sadly it failed and by the time she was four months old, she was being assessed for a liver transplant.
“At the assessment we were told she had 3-12 months to live without a transplant. We knew there was a shortage of organ donors, so we were keen to explore the live donor route. Luckily her dad, Pete, passed all the necessary tests and Sofia received part of his liver in July last year.
“Happily, both recovered really well and Sofia was discharged from hospital just two weeks after her operation. We’ve had ups and downs, she had some early rejection and has had lots of winter bugs but she’s doing absolutely amazing, it has completely changed our lives.
“We decided we wanted to go to the games after talking to the parents of other children who have Sofia’s condition. It will be so nice to be with lots of other people that understand what you’ve been through and other children with the same experiences as Sofia. As her condition is so rare, the only time we ever get to talk about it is in hospital so we’re looking forward to a weekend of fun this time!”
Michelle Wilkins, Head of Children’s and Families’ Services at Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, who provided Sofia’s family with information about her condition, commented: “The Transplant Games is a wonderful example of what organ donation really means. We shall be there as it’s a great opportunity to catch up with families we have supported over many years and see the fantastic progress their children have made. So we’ll definitely be cheering on Sofia in her quest for medals!”