Ten-year-old Sylvie is looking forward to competing at the British Transplant Games in Coventry
A TEN-YEAR-OLD who had a life-saving liver transplant aged three, is hoping to bag a sporting medal at a national event.
Sylvie Allison says she’s “really looking forward” to competing in the British Transplant Games in Coventry later this month.
Cheering on the youngster will be mum Sandeep, 43, dad Mike and sister Ava, 13, who describe her as ‘an inspiration’.
This will be Sylvie’s fourth transplant games - last year in Leeds, she scooped gongs for sprinting and obstacle course.
Seven years ago, Sylvie was struck down by chronic liver failure, as a result of an unknown virus.
It was her older sister Ava who first noticed Sylvie’s eyes were tinged yellow, prompting Sandeep to call the family’s GP.
Sandeep, who works for NFU Mutual, and schoolteacher Mike, were told to take Sylvie to A&E at Warwick Hospital and after tests, their daughter was transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
With Sylvie becoming sleepier and more lethargic by the hour, Sandeep still vividly remembers the shocking moment the consultant took her and Mike into a room and dropped the bombshell that Sylvie’s only option was a liver transplant.
He explained this was so urgent, it must be done within days, as the then three-year-old’s liver was failing so rapidly.
Two days later, a liver was found and Sylvie had the transplant but although the operation was a success, her right lung collapsed and she was rushed into intensive care. This, with other complications, led to a three-month stay in hospital.
During that time, Ava, now 13, had to be cared for by both sets of grandparents and extended family who also live in or around Leamington.
Sandeep explained: “That first year at home was incredibly difficult but since then, she’s been getting better and better - she’s an inspiration to us all.
“She’s really proud of her transplant and happy to show off her scar and talk to anyone who wants to ask a question and to say: ‘This is what I’ve been through - I’ve been saved by someone’.”
The family’s first transplant games was in Birmingham in 2018, followed by Newport in 2019.
The four-day games are open to those who’ve had organ, stem cells or bone marrow transplants, with the aim to promote fitness and raise awareness of how organ, stem cell and bone marrow donation, save and transform lives.
This year’s games include 24 events from swimming, cycling and football, through to archery, bowls and table tennis.
They will take place from 27th July – 30th July at various venues around Coventry and are expected to attract 1,000 transplant athletes plus 1,700 spectators including family, friends and donors.
Sandeep explained: “It’s emotional talking to and hearing other people’s stories and meeting live donors and donor families.
“It feels like we’ve found our tribe of people who knew exactly what we’d been through and what we we’re going through on a daily basis, and everything we’ve got to think about - which parents with healthy children wouldn’t necessarily have to.
“Everyone supports each other, unconditionally and it’s lovely to be part of that.”
Sylvie added: “I’m really looking forward to the transplant games this year because it’s my home games in Coventry.
“I always love going, because I’ve made some great friends and we have fun whilst supporting each other.
“I’m really looking forward to the sprint the most, but I also like the obstacle course.”
To find out more about the British Transplant Games, see www.britishtransplantgames.co.uk
Some 7,000 people in the UK, including 200 children, are waiting for an organ transplant and every day, someone dies because there aren’t enough organ donors.
To find out more about donation, go to organdonation.nhs.uk
