Toddler kept alive with an artificial organ has heart transplant after two year wait

A two-year-old girl from Birmingham, who is thought to be one of the longest waiters on the urgent transplant list, has had a heart transplant after a two year wait.

Grace Westwood became the first person in the UK to be kept alive with a Berlin heart Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) – an air driven pump which takes over the function of a child’s own heart.

It meant that in May 2021, she was able to visit the park for the first time.

Despite being able to live through the artificial organ, it was months before a donor match became available for Grace.

Grace's mum, Becci, said: "It’s really hard to put into words the gift that family has given us – they’ve lost a child but given us so much.

"They’ve given us Grace’s life and I really hope they get a little bit of comfort knowing what they’ve done for us – thank you just isn’t enough."

Grace's dad, Darren, said: "One of the transplant co-ordinators said there was a match and I think for the first ten minutes it just didn’t sink in as Grace had been waiting for such a long time.

"We’ve always tried to stay really positive as a family and taken each day as it comes but when that day finally came it just felt surreal."

Grace's operation at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle lasted 12 hours.

Her dad said: "It’s hard giving your little girl away to the surgeons, you just have to hope for the best, I remember us walking away and just starting crying.

"It would be 12 hours until we could see her again but fortunately everything went well."

Darren and Becci decided moved to the North East from Birmingham during the pandemic when Grace was transferred to Newcastle. Now, Grace can go back home to Cramlington with her brother and parents.

Consultant paediatric cardiologist Dr Abbas Khushnood said: "It’s very unique and rare where patients have to be on mechanical support device to keep the heart pumping for such a long period of time.

"Grace has been very lucky.

"To see someone like Grace, who has had such a long journey, eventually getting a heart transplant just gives us more hope for younger children with heart failure to be able to get a transplant."