THE family of a Co Armagh boy who received a life-changing kidney transplant last Christmas are now appealing for organ donors to do the same for his little sister.
Olly (4) and Etta Cartmill (2) from Bessbrook both have an extremely rare genetic condition which causes kidney failure.
Last December, Olly became Northern Ireland’s smallest transplant recipient at 13kg after his grandmother Michelle donated one of her kidneys.
While it has revived his health, Etta still continues to receive dialysis treatment in Belfast four days a week.
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As well as a new kidney, the two-year-old also needs a liver transplant and requires regular blood transfusions.
For parents Dionne and Neil, it means they have spent much of their children’s lives with them in hospital.
Dionne said: “Since Olly was born, we’ve met so many families living with kidney disease. It is awful to see so many young ones suffer.
“It has been hard on us all and dialysis is a cruel treatment. It’s exhausting and forces you to spend several hours connected to a machine, multiple times a week. Olly and Etta have missed countless milestones compared to other children their age.”
While Olly’s transplant was “daunting,” she said the difference to his life has been amazing.
“Before, we couldn’t get two words out of him, now he’s a motormouth. He can eat and drink more freely and has the energy to enjoy life. Sadly, Etta still spends more time in hospital than at home.”
While thrilled when Etta was born, she said her daughter’s kidneys had already failed by the second day of her life.
“She’s dealt with so much, feeding through a tube, having countless procedures and receiving relentless treatments,” she said.
“Olly and Etta are best friends, and Olly, like all of us, is desperate for his little sister to get her transplants soon.
“His transplant was made possible by breakthroughs in research and it’s important to us to help fund future advances in healthcare for children, like Etta, who are still waiting for their lives to be transformed.
“It means the world to me and my family knowing that people are giving to Kidney Research UK. It gives us hope that there’ll be new treatment options for Olly and Etta as they grow up and is the light at the end of a long tunnel.
“There are so many research questions yet to be answered that could improve lives pre and post-transplant.”
The family are speaking out as part of Kidney Research UK’s Christmas appeal, highlighting the challenges facing over 1,000 children in the UK with various forms of kidney disease.
Lucy Sreeves, executive director at Kidney Research UK, said: “We’re so grateful to Dionne and Neil for sharing their family’s reality of living with kidney disease. They continue to inspire us with their resilience and determination to help others in the face of Olly and Etta’s difficulties.
“The research they and their well-wishers are supporting will help to save more lives from being devastated by kidney disease in the future. We appreciate every penny people are able to spare to give the gift of research this Christmas.”
For further information on the appeal, visit www.kidneyresearchuk.org/ollyandetta
