Poppy

A few weeks ago I wrote this post about baby Poppy, the incredible daughter of a friend I've known most of my life. 


Poppy was born very, very poorly, and Sophie and Steve, her incredible parents, were told that she very likely wouldn't survive the night. 

On 29 May Poppy will turn one. A whole year. A whole year of proving the doctors wrong and being bloody awesome. 


Poppy is a wonderful baby girl - she is a joy, who lights up the room with her beaming smile, who smashes every limit the experts say she'll have. 


Poppy's Dad and a team of his friends are doing a sponsored bike ride to raise money for the ward that cared for Poppy, who kept her alive and who did the liver transplant. They have a justgiving page here - please, please pop on and sponsor - even a pound will do, even a pound will make a difference and will make Poppy and her family so happy. 

Every penny will make a difference to the ward and the team and will contribute to equipment that will save other little lives, and will keep families together. 


No amount of money will repay the team on the ward for the incredible work they did, nothing can repay people for saving your baby's life, but if enough people read Poppy's story - which, by the way, was in their local paper today - and donate a small sum it will show just how much it means to the family, and to everyone who knows and loves them.


I love this family so much, I think they're just incredible and they are such an inspiration. 

Please follow the link, read Poppy's story again and do what you can to sponsor the boys or pass the link on. They would all be so, so grateful.

"Poppy was born on May 29th 2011 with an extended abdomen. It took the nursing staff eight hours to stabilise her condition so she could be transported to Manchester Royal Infirmary's Intensive Care Unit. Her parents were told to accompany her in the ambulance as everyone feared she would not make it.

Quickly diagnosed as having a Mesenchymal Haematoma on her liver (a tumour, the size of which you can see in the photographs; was causing her extended abdomen).  Poppy's condition was serious; she needed round the clock care. She spent eight days in Manchester Royal Infirmary with a nurse by her bed 24 hours a day. After eight days she was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) for specialist liver care.

Poppy arrived at the Intensive Care Unit at LGI, on June 7th 2011. Again, receiving round the clock care. 

On 17th June Poppy was dealing with her first of many operations. Her first was undergoing a 'resection', a major operation to remove the tumour and with it, a section of her liver. 

It was hoped that the remaining liver would be enough to function appropriately and regenerate itself over time.  This would be enough for anyone to go throughbut Poppy was 3 weeks old.

Unfortunately what remained of the liver was not enough for a sustainable function. Poppy required a liver transplant and she was placed on the donor register as a ‘super urgent priority UK’. Most transplant lists are localised but such was the seriousness of Poppy’s condition she topped the list for the whole of the UK.

After a difficult twelve days LGI had found a suitable liver donor for Poppy. An unimaginable experience andlife changing decision by an unknown family meant that Poppy could undergo her transplant on June 30 2011.

During the transplant operation Poppy required two separate heart massages. As a result of needing this procedure Poppy has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.  That said, Poppy has made it through with flying colours. She’s kept this approach to overcoming all her challenges; she never fails to inspire those around her.

The transplant was done through open surgery which meant she required three more operations over three weeks to close the wound.

Once the wound was closed, after close monitoring and the start of her immune suppressants Poppy was allowed home in time for her big brother Hayden’s 4 Birthday!!"