Jumat, 06 Juli 2012

Little Lottie, the youngest Briton to survive a liver transplant, celebrates first birthday

Little Lottie, the youngest Briton to survive a liver transplant, celebrates first birthday

  • Lottie clung to life for five weeks until miraculously a donor was found
  • Lottie's parents couldn't be with her following her life-saving operation after the riots in August last year left the hospital in lockdown
  • Lottie's parents have launched a campaign to encourage more organ donors

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 11:05 EST, 6 July 2012 | UPDATED: 11:05 EST, 6 July 2012

The youngest person in Britain to survive a liver transplant has defied the odds to celebrate her first birthday yesterday.

Lottie Bryon-Edmond was given just hours to live after being born with a rare condition which gave her toxic levels of iron in her liver.

She went straight to the top of Britain’s transplant list and clung to life for five weeks until a suitable donor was eventually found.

Lottie's father Chris Byron-Edmond said: 'She is extremely feisty and that¿s what has saved her'

Lottie's father Chris Byron-Edmond said: 'She is extremely feisty and that¿s what has saved her'

The odds of finding a suitable donor for Lottie were incredibly slim - with just five a year usually coming forward from children who have passed away.

Amazingly, Lottie’s new liver came from a living donor, whose parents are believed to have come forward after reading about the baby’s desperate plight.

Lottie underwent the lifesaving eight-hour operation at Birmingham Children’s Hospital aged just five weeks. Doctors said she could have died at any point during surgery.

The delicate procedure itself offered only a 50 per cent survival rate but Lottie managed to pull through, becoming the youngest person in Britain to live after a transplant.

Her family’s ordeal was worsened when violent riots swept through the country, leaving the hospital in lockdown.

Thugs threatened to fire bomb Birmingham Children's Hospital - which cares for some of Britain's sickest children and while brave staff formed a human shield around its doors, police ordered a total lock-down.

It prevented Lottie’s parents from being with her overnight.

Recovering: Lottie pictured at four months with parents Julie and Chris after the successful transplant

Recovering: Lottie pictured at four months with parents Julie and Chris after the successful transplant

Happy days: Chris and Julie Bryon-Edmond with Lottie

Happy days: Chris and Julie Bryon-Edmond with Lottie

Now proud father Chris Byron-Edmond, 48, from Torquay, Devon, said he was delighted his daughter had reached the milestone they feared she would never see.

He said: 'We were told our child was going to die but Lottie defied all the odds. She is extremely feisty and that’s what has saved her.

'Lottie has reached a massive milestone. She is doing fantastically. She’s very vocal, if she wants something you jolly well know about.'

Lottie had the rare condition neonatal hemochromatosis which caused toxic levels of iron to accumulate in her liver as she was developing in the womb.

Doctors warned she could die at any time when she was born seven weeks prematurely at Torbay Hospital in Devon on July 6 last year.

She was rushed to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, before being taken to Bristol and then Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Lottie went on the transplant list and her parents faced an anxious 15 day wait until a donor came forward last August.

Lottie shortly after birth when her parents were told she would need a liver transplant. She had the procedure at Birmingham Children¿s Hospital aged just five weeks

Lottie shortly after birth when her parents were told she would need a liver transplant. She had the procedure at Birmingham Children¿s Hospital aged just five weeks

Surgeons in Birmingham then performed the operation using an extremely rare donor from a live organ.

Mr Byron-Edmond said: 'We were told our child was going to die. We were told she wouldn’t make it on the journey to Bristol hospital, but she made it and she was smiling when we got there.

'We were told she wasn’t going to make it once we got to Bristol, and then once at Birmingham we were told she only had two weeks to live.

'But 15 days later, an anonymous donor came forward.'

Financial advisor Chris and wife Julie, a sales manager, were prevented from being at their daughter’s bedside because of threats from rioters.

Mr Byron-Edmond added: 'It was very surreal - there we were with a little baby dying and then there was helicopters and spot lights and smoke burning. It was a very frightening time.'

Chris and Julie, who have nicknamed their daughter ‘Chip’, set up campaign Operation Chip-BE, www.chipbe.com, to encourage more people to become organ donors.

Lottie in hospital shortly after birth. Her parents are trying to raise awareness of National Transplant Week

Lottie in hospital shortly after birth. Her parents are trying to raise awareness of National Transplant Week

They will celebrate their daughter’s first birthday on Saturday at a grand party with hundreds of friends, family, their local MP and nurses from Birmingham, Bristol and Torquay.

Family friend and Devon musician Nick Tilley has written a song describing the tot’s brave fight for life, called ‘Lottie’s Song - A Gift for Life’.

Both the party and song, which is available on iTunes, are to raise awareness of National Transplant Week, which begins on Monday.

Delighted Julie said she was left 'crying all weekend' after first hearing the single about her special girl.

She added: 'Everybody loves her and she really is such a sweet little girl - she never stops smiling.

'To get through what she has been through is just amazing. She is really wonderful.'

‘Lottie’s Song - A Gift for Life’ will be available to download on iTunes, Amazon and all major download sites today.

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