An 11-year-old girl from Bristol who underwent a heart transplant as a baby has been included in a series of NHS videos about transplantation.
The videos, produced by NHS Blood and Transplant, form part of the organisation’s seasonal communications about organ transplantation.
One of those featured is Elodie, who was diagnosed in infancy with dilated cardiomyopathy and underwent a heart transplant at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle before her first birthday.
In a press release made available, Elodie said: “My new heart means I can do things that other children do, spend time with my dogs Coco and Bhodie, ride my bike, simple things.
“My highlights have been going to Disneyland, Florida, Britain’s Got Talent – meeting the judges and pressing the ‘X’ red button and helping others.
“Organ donation is a great thing! I wish more people get fixed and can enjoy life again, a very underrated word.
“Hope Takes Flight brings a very serious subject to discussion, if I hadn’t got my new heart, I wouldn’t be able to tell you my story.”
Elodie’s dad Colin, 52, said: “I always try to keep up to date with current children or parents who are waiting for ‘that call’ to get their much needed life saving organ which means we are constantly reminded of ‘how grave’ these situations are for families.
“Sarah and I (if asked) tell people we are the lucky ones, but Elodie takes it in her stride in most cases. She is very aware what she has been through. Our differences in life can never be explained in words due to the severity of Elodie’s journey, only to say we cherish every moment with her.”
The 52-year-old dad also said Elodie has navigated her way and is now becoming a strong minded little girl, who knows her own mind and is very switched on, which he hopes can help others. He added that his daughter has benefited by attending a special needs school, but most things go at her pace which helps her massively.
“Most of the waiting and deaths can be avoided. We as a family have benefited from organ donation enormously and Elodie can be a normal little girl again, be a sister to Freya and Austin.
We need to continue the discussion – in people’s houses at dinner, while watching TV, on car journeys. If everyone knows their loved ones wishes, it would save many more lives. The worst time in our lives turned into the best time of our life thanks to an organ donor.
We are very privileged to help out with Hope Takes Flight and tell our story from the parents point of view and Elodie’s. We hope no one ever has to go through what we did, chances are very slim but nevertheless you may or may know a family who has/is going through this extremely difficult time.
The video will always give ‘hope’ and some understanding about the importance of the decision to join the organ donation register, he said.”
According to the NHS (Freeman Hospital), the ‘Hope Takes Flight’ launch video includes Elodie and also highlights others who have experienced the heart aching wait for a transplant to the life-changing moment a patient finally receives that call and the story of a child organ donor.
Each story is symbolically linked by a pink and white paper plane designed by lung transplant recipient and origami artist Joe Russell, representing the hopeful journey that organ donation can bring families. The 47-year-old, from Worthing, West Sussex, also shares his story.
The social campaign also shares the stories of liver recipient and mum-of four Nicki, Detko, 66, from Preston and Aari Patel, 3, who sadly died and became an organ donor in 2016.
Retired PE teacher, Nicki, shared her emotional transplant journey after an autoimmune disease left her in need of an urgent lifesaving liver transplant. This year marks the 21st Christmas she’s been able to share with her now-grown children and grandkids after a lifesaving liver transplant two decades ago.
Three-year-old Aari sadly passed away at home in 2016 and while his young life couldn’t be saved, he went on to donate seven organs and save the lives of others, including two children.
Meanwhile, Christine Cox, whose family campaigned for and established the first national NHS Organ Donor Register, is backing the Hope Takes Flight campaign. She started her campaigning alongside her mother Rosemary and father John, in memory of her brother, Peter, who died in 1989, which led to the creation of the register in 1994. Christine recently met origami artist and lung recipient Joe Russell, who designed the organ donation paper plane, at an awareness raising event in her home city, Wolverhampton.
Christine, aged 63, says: “Hope takes flight is a brilliant project showing how people can be connected through the altruistic gift of life. It shows how the Organ Donor Register brings hope to the 8,000 patients on the current waiting list for an organ.
Meeting Joe was a great honour. He is inspirational and a tremendous ambassador and it is ‘plain/plane’ to see how his transplant has given him his life back. It is wonderful that Joe is giving back through this project and his aerodynamic paper plane is great fun to make.
Organ donation means so much to my family because there is no better gift to commit to this Christmas than joining the NHS Organ Donor Register. The fact that one person can give sight or prevent a patient undergoing dialysis and return to a normal life has to be the greatest, altruistic gift one can give. Please remember death is the only certainty in life and organ donation is the ultimate in recycling.”
It is hoped the campaign videos, bringing together all four stories linked by the organ donation paper plane and also focusing on them individually, will prompt people to confirm their support for organ donation on the NHS Organ Donor Register and tell their family.
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant said: “At this time of giving and thinking of others, please give hope to the thousands of people, including hundreds of children, waiting for a lifesaving phone call this Christmas.
“Their lives can only be saved by the ultimate act of humanity and kindness – organ donation. Up to nine lives can be saved when sadly a life is lost.
Register your decision to be an organ donor and tell your family. Share the Hope Takes Flight videos and inspire others to become lifesavers.”
The videos are being shared on NHS Organ Donation’s social media channels in the run up to and over Christmas to raise awareness.
NHS figures state that more than 8,000 people across the UK are currently on the transplant waiting list, the highest number recorded heading into Christmas.
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