As a nurse, Lorna was used to taking care of people. However, when her daughter Aila became critically ill, Lorna needed to rely on care from a special community working together to help Aila get well.

The news that your child will need an organ transplant is one no parent wants to hear. Aila became sick when she was just six months old. She was getting fevers and vomiting and despite multiple antibiotics, she didn’t seem to be improving. 

Being a second time mum and nurse, I felt something wasn’t right. We took Aila to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, where they did some blood tests and found that she had an issue with her liver.  

Luckily, medications and treatment kept Aila’s condition stable for most of her childhood.

However, when Aila was 11 years old her illness progressed, and she developed Hepatopulmonary Syndrome (HPS) a rare lung complication of the liver disease - Aila’s life came to a halt. She was breathless all the time, making it impossible for her to go to school, and she could no longer do everyday things.
 
While we knew Aila would need a liver transplant in the future the moment that finally arrived was pretty devastating. After her doctors confirmed that a transplant was necessary, she underwent lots of tests and met with doctors and surgeons, then there was the six-month wait for a suitable liver to become available. 

We finally got the call in April and within 24 hours Aila had received her donor liver. The doctors and nurses were incredible, calling to gives us regular updates about her progress. As a nurse myself, I’ve worked in many hospitals, but I’ve always felt The Children’s Hospital at Westmead to be among the best. There was no doubt in our minds that Aila was in good hands. I couldn’t be more thankful to the team of doctors and nurses, and the incredible donor family who gave her the life-saving gift of a new liver. 

Thank you just isn’t enough. The staff at the hospital are just so humble. We’re so grateful to live so close to this amazing Hospital with all these amazing people who care for our children.