Paisley is reunited with her family as she waits for another liver transplant

At six-months-old Paisley suffered liver failure. Her liver wasn’t producing sugar causing her to become seriously ill. She needed a liver transplant but there were only three specialist hospitals in the UK that could do the surgery. Paisley and her mum Jade to travel over 300 miles from their home in Edinburgh to Birmingham Children’s Hospital so that Paisley could receive a new liver.

Jade had to leave her four-year-old son Ollie in the care of friends whilst she accompanied Paisley to Birmingham. Jade knew this long separation would be hard for them all; especially Ollie.  Ollie hadn’t stayed away from home before and was stressed and emotional about being away from his Mum.

Once in Birmingham Paisley was prepared for her surgery. However, due to various complications the transplant fell through and she was not able to receive her new liver. Jade was devastated. She knew there was nothing else they could do at this point but was desperate for her little girl to get better. The consultants at Birmingham suggested the best thing for Paisley would be for her to return home and wait for another opportunity for the transplant.

Paisley was still very ill and could not face the 300-mile journey home by road ambulance. Jade was anxious to get home as Ollie was very unhappy and the Consultants couldn’t advise how long it would be until Paisley would be fit to be transferred home by road. Hope came in the form of an air ambulance transfer. It was agreed that the best way for Paisley to travel would be by aeroplane, as opposed to helicopter; this was due to the decreased flight stress and the fluid and feed management that Paisley required.

Lucy Air Ambulance for Children (Lucy AAC) was contacted to see if they could fly Paisley home by aeroplane less than 12 hours after being contacted Lucy AAC had facilitated Paisley’s transfer and she was taking off from Birmingham Airport  – she was finally on her way home. The road ambulance journey would have taken over 5 hours but the flight was just 1 hour and Paisley received the medical care that she needed Lucy AAC transferred Paisley to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. She was checked over and discharged home the next day.

Jade says: ‘Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for bringing my little Paisley back! She got home late last night from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children and has been kept on a continuous feed at home. There are only three hospitals in the UK that do liver transplants so she will need to be flown back to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, but until then I’m so happy that my family can all be together.’

Thank you for helping reunite this family during such a difficult time.