The grandmother of an Irish baby who underwent the world’s first intestine transplant in Spain has described the child’s recovery as a “miracle”.
Thirteen-month-old Emma is recovering well after a leading medical team saved her life in the first ever transplant involving a living intestine.
The child’s grandmother, Helen, who moved from her home in Cork to Spain in 1974 to teach English, said she was “overjoyed” that doctors saved her grandchild’s life.
Speaking on Cork 96fm yesterday, Helen said it was a medical first in the transplantation of one intestine to another, where the donor was still alive.
In this case, the organs of another baby who was dying were donated to Emma who received a new spline, liver, bowel and intestine which “saved Emma’s life”.
Helen described the situation as “a miracle” and said her grandchild is recovering at home from the major surgery which took place a couple of months ago.
She said: “We don’t want to give dates, times and locations as we don’t want to identify the other baby. Their baby died and our baby survived because of that. It’s a miracle, it’s a real miracle.
Helen continued: “It was the work of geniuses. The organ to be transplanted couldn’t deteriorate in the meantime, they had to sign an oath and everything, it was the worst day of our lives and at the same time the best time.
“The donor was a person who was going to die, another baby. The intestine has to be removed before the moment of death; they kept that baby alive to save our baby.
“It was awful waiting outside and waiting for news. But she had no rejection whatsoever, it coulda been the other way around. The surgeons are delighted with the breakthrough, all of the organs are from the same baby, Emma had the spline, the liver, the blower and the intestine.
“It’s a breakthrough and the medical team who knew Emma since she was born have been giving press conferences to everyone. It’s a miracle”.
Helen said she watched on in horror as her grandchild deteriorated while she waited the ground-breaking surgery.
She said “The exact same team who operated on her after she was born, were researching the transplantation of intestines. It’s such a risk operation, it has to be a living organ.
“They said they would just have to go for it and do it. They had no choice.
“Not only did she have the liver transplant, the bowel, the spline, it happened so suddenly.
“They almost built her entire system.
“The organ to be transplanted couldn’t deteriorate in the meantime, they had to sign an oath, it was the worst day of our lives and at the same time the best time.
“The donor was a person who was going to die. The intestine has to be removed before the moment of death. It took 14 hours in the theatre. It was awful waiting outside, for any news.”
“The baby was four days in the intensive concern, without knowing was it a success.
“She had no rejection whatsoever, it coulda been the other way around, rejection and back in again.
“The surgeons are delighted with their breakthrough, the spline was ok, the liver, everything.
“All the organs are from the same baby”.
The operation took place in Madrid’s La Paz hospital and in a statement from the hospital a spokesperson said the organ was “via asystolic donation from a donor at the end of their life.
“This method of donation means the organ to be transplanted does not deteriorate.”
It’s the first time this type of operation has ever taken place and the statement said “The intestine is a lymphoid organ closely linked to the person’s immune system which, under normal conditions is colonised by multiple germs.
This means that the risk of rejection and the possibility of infection is higher than in other transplants.
Helen said the child is the daughter of one of her three sons who is married to a Spanish woman.
She said “When Anna the mother was about eight months pregnant, they diagnosed that the bowel was just a little bit short, they said don’t worry, when the baby was born, a little operation(would take place) but everything will be ok. But when the baby was born it wasn’t good.
“She was in hospital for a least six months after birth, she had four operations before the transplant - all unsuccessful. Emma was so deteriorated they had no choice but to put that system into practice. They said it was a very risky operation.
Helen said Emma had weighed just 2.5kilos but was now a healthy 6kilos since the operation.
“It’s a miracle” she said while also revealing that the entire 14 hour operation was paid for by the Spanish state.
She said it was “All paid for the social welfare in a public hospital in Madrid.
“My son said if we had to pay for it, we would have to sell every house we owned. It was fully paid for by the social welfare, isn’t that great. Unbelievable.”
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