Four-month-old baby in race against time to find liver donor to save her life
The parents of a four-month-old baby have made an urgent plea for a liver donor to “save their little whirlwind” so she “can go on to do great things”.
Florence-Ivy Langton is in intensive care in Leeds Children's Hospital and in desperate need of a transplant. Her mum Sammy Bromfield, 31 and her dad Jamie Langton, 29, have launched an appeal for a donor to save her life. “Bless her, she’s a fighter and despite what she’s going through, she still has a smile for everyone,” Sammy told The Mirror.
"She's four months old and she's spent most of her life in and out of hospital already. She’s never given up. So we won’t. Flo’s our world and we feel broken but we are fighting to give her a chance at life.” Sammy explained how Florence-Ivy Gillian, known as ‘Figl’ to the family, was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a bile ducts blockage, at eight weeks old.
Her family who live near Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire said she now has end-stage liver failure and finding a donor would be a "gift" and a “debt they could never repay”. Florence-Ivy was born last October and within the first eight weeks of her life developed problems with her liver and her condition was discovered at a routine check-up with the family's GP.
“She’d been jaundiced since birth and it never seemed to get better,” her mum said. Dad Jamie, a call centre manager, said: “Everyone had reassured us that it was just normal, she was born at 38 weeks so it would take a little bit longer to get rid of it.” The couple told how she was due for her eight week injections but the nurse rang in sick but they took the life-saving decision to take Florence-Ivy along for her ‘top-to-toe’ health check anyway.
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
Baby Florence-Ivy needs an organ donation (Facebook)
Her parents say she's a fighter (Facebook)Sammy said: “I’m really glad we did now. Because the surgery she went on to have could only be done in the first 100 days to give her a better chance. If we hadn't she would not be here. We would have lost her by the age of three if we hadn’t taken her to get checked.”
Doctors in Leeds tried to delay Florence's need for a transplant with the surgery to give the family more time to find a donor. Jamie said: “It is important the surgery she had is done early, to give it a better chance of success.” The couple are facing a race against time to save the “fantastic” Flo.
Sammy said: "We're having to come to terms with the fact life is never going to be the same again. Time is not in our favour due to her dainty size and grouping but we will never give up the fight." Jamie added: “She’s a real fighter with a fantastic fighting spirit. She gets that from her mum!”
The couple told of their pride for little Florence and Sammy giggles as she talks about her daughter’s wonderful character. “She already has her favourite doctors and gives the ones taking her bloods the death stare. She has such a spirit for life, she’s a little whirlwind and she’s sassy.”
The tot developed problems at birthJamie adds: “Obviously she can’t talk to you but her eyes tell you a lot!” She has such a spirit for life.” In a message to the public, Jamie said; “The gift Florence needs to have a chance to live is a small portion of your liver. If somebody could do that we would be eternally grateful to them. This is a gift for Flo and it'll be a debt we'll never be able to repay. It will give Florence the chance to have a life.
“The donor operation has a short recovery period and the liver will regenerate but it would give Florence a chance to live a long life. Florence will always be brought up appreciating the chance she was given. The chance to go on to do great things." Sammy added: “We will always be grateful to who that person is.
"We will never be able to repay that debt but the donor will have the knowledge that they have saved Florence’s life and given her the chance to make memories. Florence is our absolute world, and my son Tom, they are both our absolute world. It’s been really tough.“
Finding a match for her is a hard task as the criteria for a baby is strict.
- Any possible donor must be aged between 18 and 50, and in blood group O. They can either be positive or negative.
- A donor cannot weigh more than 9.5 stone (60kg) and must be generally fit with no significant medical conditions. They also must be psychologically fit with no significant mental health problems.
- Donors cannot be heavy smokers or drinkers and must be smoke and drink-free eight weeks before the transplant.
- A donor's BMI must be between 18 and 30, and any female potential donor must not have given birth within the last six months.
Anyone who thinks they might fit the criteria is advised to complete the form on the hospital's website and contact them.
The Live Donor Team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals said: "We sincerely hope a living donor can be found for Florence. There are many children like Florence waiting for a liver transplant in the United Kingdom.
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"In addition to deceased donation, living liver donation is an option for children and adults waiting for liver transplantation. There is a real need for living donors as the number of deceased liver donors in the UK does not meet the current demand."
For more information regarding live liver donation:
What is living liver donation? - NHS Organ Donation
Or to contact the Live Donor Team at Leeds:
Live Donor Liver Transplant Program (leedsth.nhs.uk)’
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