UK: 5 DAY OLD BABY BECOMES WORLD'S YOUNGEST TRANSPLANT PATIENT скачать в хорошем качестве

UK: 5 DAY OLD BABY BECOMES WORLD'S YOUNGEST TRANSPLANT PATIENT

(8 Dec 1997) English/Nat A five-day-old Irish baby has become the world's youngest ever transplant patient, it was revealed on Monday. Little Baebhen Schuttke, who is now five months old, was given the lifesaving liver transplant operation by surgeons at King's College Hospital in July. At a news conference at the London hospital doctors revealed that Baebhen has made great progress and they are now confident she'll make a full recovery. For the parents of five-month-old Baebhen (BEV-an) her recovery is nothing short of a miracle. In July, she was diagnosed with a rare liver condition - called neonatal haemochromatosis. The disease had already claimed the lives of two of her brothers and doctors predicted that without immediate surgery she, too, would die within days. But major advances in medical science meant surgeons were able to save her. Using an eighth of an older child's liver, surgeons at King's College Hospital, were able to successfully carry out the procedure when Baebhen was just five days old. Five months on, Baebhen's mother says she's still amazed by her daughter's recovery. SOUNDBITE: "We are just delighted, we can't believe it happened and we are just overwhelmed with the whole brilliant and miraculous outcome that has occurred. The donor, because of the anonymity of the donor, it is impossible to thank them and we would like to just give our heartfelt gratitude to donors of all organs, not just Baebhen's and we appeal that people do give it a thought." SUPER CAPTION: Ita Schuttke, mother After helplessly watching their sons die from the same condition the Schuttke's stressed the importance of organ donation. SOUNDBITE: "A tragedy in somebody's life may cause somebody else's happiness and for us it has definitely made our Christmas." SUPER CAPTION: Jurgen Schuttke, father Baebhen's five-year-old sister Aodhbha (Ava) says she loves her baby sister and she loves the medics who saved her. Since the transplant Baebhen has made a remarkable recovery and chief surgeon Dr Rela is confident she will remain healthy. He says she is the youngest child to get a liver transplant because she was lucky enough to get a donor. SOUNDBITE: "This child, Baebhen, would have died if she didn't receive a transplant in weeks time, in three weeks time at the most and to wait for a size match organ for this child would have been practically impossible, you are never going to find an organ from another child which would suit the size of this child." SUPER CAPTION: Mohamed Rela, Chief surgeon Professor Giorgina Mieli-Vergani, consultant liver paediatrician, cared for one Baebhen's brothers who died from the fatal liver disease. She's shared both the Schuttke's heartbreak and joy. SOUNDBITE: "As you know, these people have lost two children with this condition and we had also acquired experience of other families with the same condition, and we have transplanted other children with Neonatal Haemochromatosis. When Ita delivered the baby who had it, I immediately decided she had to be transplanted, the child had to be transplanted because we knew of the risks without transplantation, which would be deadly." SUPER CAPTION: Professor Giorgina (correct) Mieli-Vergani, consultant liver pediatrician Baebhen's condition, also known as bronzed diabetes, is a fairly common genetic disorder in adults, but in children it is very rare. When her parents found a third child had been struck down with the fatal liver condition they turned to the Internet to find out more information. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...