Two year old Eloise was diagnosed with biliary atresia at four weeks and underwent a Kasai procedure when she was five weeks old but unfortunately it was clear from the start that it had been unsuccessful.
“Every time she got a minor illness like a cold, we could see her deteriorating,” says her mum, Lea.
“Eloise was listed for transplant when she was seven months old, but it quickly became clear that she was just too sick to wait, and we started to consider living donation. Her daddy, Ryan, put himself forward, they pushed all the tests through in about two weeks and fortunately he turned out to be an excellent match.
“Her transplant took place when she was eight months old and luckily both surgeries went really well. It was a stressful time for me because we were living in Ronald McDonald House next to Kings College Hospital, I was running between two intensive care units and our little boy was not even two years old!
“Ryan had three months off work. He was in a lot of pain to begin with and took some time to get himself back to full mobility but I’m happy to report that he’s fine now. We were lucky that his work paid him as he had only been there a few months. That certainly took some of our stress away.
“And as for Eloise, I have to say the contrast was like day and night! Yes, she’s had her blips due to a lower immune system and interactions with her medication. But otherwise, she is a beautiful, sassy and clever young lady.
“Before her transplant, we lived in hospital, and she was so sick. We hung onto hope of better days, but we couldn’t imagine how different life could be. We know that transplant isn’t a complete cure and of course we have our worries, but we enjoy family days out, holidays and simple things in life like trips to the library and swimming. Eloise is lucky to have such a kind big brother as Jacob. Even though he is only four, he understands Eloise’s hospital visits and tests. He knows to be careful with his sister’s special belly and he worries when she is sick.
“Organ donation not only gives hope and life initially but gives that ability to have the kind of a life which most people take for granted.”
