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Waiting for a transplant Lives lost waiting Recipient of a transplant Giving the gift of life

Lucy Pearson is now 10 years old, and only still here thanks to the gift of a stranger. Her mum, Bev, tells us what this small but determined girl has been through.

Our daughter Lucy was born in December 1999 with very complex congenital heart disease amongst other problems. She endured many operations over the years to try to ‘re-plumb’ her heart. We knew eventually that the only hope for her would be a heart transplant, but it was hoped that this wouldn’t be the case until she was in her late teens/early twenties.

Unfortunately in September 2005 we were given the news that no parent ever wants to hear – nothing more surgically could be done for our daughter, she wasn’t even going to be a suitable candidate for transplantation. We were told to take her home and enjoy what time we had left. I am not a person to take things lying down and asked for a second opinion which we eventually got. So at the beginning of December 2005 we attended an appointment at the new hospital where Lucy underwent a very in depth scan of the heart and which lasted for 1 1/2 hours. One of the doctors watching this scan was attached to the transplant team and made an off the cuff comment that he thought she was going to be suitable for transplant.

We were asked if we would like to attend a transplant assessment at their hospital, of course we said yes! The following day the phone rang; it was from someone attached to the Transplant Team, please could we attend transplant assessment on 12th December.

Lucy underwent many tests. There were also psychological assessments for us all to go through. We met with one of the transplant consultants on the Wednesday afternoon. Yes she was suitable! We could list her there and then or we could go home and think about it for a few days, but she did have to be listed pretty soon. There was only one answer; to list her there and then.

Lucy waited about 8 months for her new heart. It was very hard watching her get sicker and sicker and also knowing that someone had to die to give her the chance of life that she dreamed of. She kept talking about the things that she wanted to do when she got her ‘new engine’. She was so blue, could not eat without being sick, could not walk - relying on a special buggy to get her around, could not talk without taking huge breaths every couple of words, didn’t laugh. The sparkle was going.

The telephone rang at 8.15 pm one day. A donor had been found; we needed to be ready to leave for the hospital as soon as possible. A fast response vehicle would be picking us up from home. I dissolved into tears, tears of sadness for the family of the donor, but also tears of joy at the possibilities that lie ahead for Lucy. Lucy was incredibly serene throughout, telling me that everything was going to be alright. Wise words from a six year old.

Lucy went straight to the transplant cubicle where blood was taken and sent off to the labs to check that she was well enough to cope with the surgery. The wait began to hear if the transplant would go ahead. Just after 1 am we heard that the blood results were good; we just had to wait for news of the heart. At about 1.45 am the transplant co-ordinator poked her head around the door and gave us the thumbs up. That was it - the operation was to take place.

At about 2am Lucy went to theatre. We had done this trip many of times before, but for me this was the hardest one. As she drifted off to sleep I told her to be a good girl and that we would see her later. I think I had a few people in tears!

I spent most of the night sat in the hospital chapel praying, with the donor and their family in my thoughts a lot of the time.

We finally got to see Lucy again sometime around 10am. The surgery had gone well, she wasn’t out of the woods by a long way, but time would tell. Exactly two weeks after the operation we took her home. This was apparently a record. Everyone was so pleased with her.

She has had a few ups and downs since the surgery and is still watched very closely, but putting her forward for transplant was the best decision we ever made … and it was only made possible by a special person and their family who we are eternally grateful to. She now has that ‘new engine’ she dreamt of and the possibilities for her future are endless.