Browse Sections

• Education
• Special reports

Family is on top of the world as Katie comes home

Laura Kenny
10/ 4/2008

THE SKY'S the limit for brave toddler Katie Williams who faced a race against time to find a new heart.

The desperately ill little girl, from West Green in Rhodes, made national headlines when it was revealed she suffered from a potentially fatal heart condition and needed an urgent transplant.

Both Katie's mum Louise Snape and her twin sister Lauren share the same inherited heart condition – acute dilated cardiomyopathy – which causes the heart to become enlarged and less effective at pumping blood around the body.

But now the plucky two-year-old, who underwent a nine hour transplant operation, is on the road to recovery and her overjoyed mum and dad want to organise a sponsored sky-dive to celebrate.

Mum Louise said: "It is absolutely fantastic to have her home.

"It has been a real struggle but Katie has come on such a lot since the transplant.

"I don't think she realises everything she has been through but when someone comes she will lift up her top and say new heart."

Katie’s transplant was carried out at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne back in December and the toddler returned home in January.

Agonisingly, after making good progress following the transplant she had to be re-admitted to hospital after picking up a virus before being finally allowed back home last week.

To celebrate Katie’s progress Louise and her partner Simon want to organise a skydive to coincide with the twins' third birthday on the 8 July.

Louise said: "It has been really difficult and both Katie and Lauren have really missed each other. When Katie came home, Lauren went running up to her and gave her a big hug.

"We have never been able to take the girls away on holiday before with Katie being so ill but now we would love to take them to Disneyland."

The family is also in the process of setting up a website, www.williamsheartstory.co.uk, to offer support to other families living with the condition and to try and raise more awareness.

Louise said: "We would really like to thank the hospital staff up in Newcastle and of course the staff on the Watson Mann Unit at Pendlebury Children's Hospital who have looked after Katie so well."

Anyone who might be able to help the family organise the skydive or who would like to take part can email the family at louiseandsimon@live.co.uk