Lidget Green, Bradford, girl gets a new liver (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Lidget Green, Bradford, girl gets a new liver

7:27pm Monday 8th February 2010 in

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Little Paris Cowens is recovering in hospital after receiving a new liver.

The one-year-old underwent a nine-hour transplant on Thursday at St James’s Hospital in Leeds after spending only a few months on the transplant list.

With her parents Tammy Cowens and James Jones at her bedside, Paris’ grandmother Sandra Jones, said they were overjoyed Paris had received a new liver, but their thoughts were also with the family of the donor.

Mrs Jones, of Hollingwood Avenue, Lidget Green, said: “We are just getting over the shock of the last few days. On Saturday I did nothing but cry. The silly thing is, Paris is on the mend, it is more because of the other family. It is upsetting to think it could have been another baby.

“Our family is so grateful and our condolences go to them. We don’t know who they are but we would like to say a big thank you.”

Paris was born with a rare liver condition called biliary atresia, which affects 50 babies born in England and Wales each year. It means the bile duct was blocked, poisoning the liver.

She underwent an operation at St James’s Hospital after her birth but it was unsuccessful and doctors at the paediatric liver team decided to put her on the transplant list last October. The call the family had been waiting for came at 11pm on Wednesday, saying a liver was available.

Paris, her parents and Mrs Jones, to St James’s, spent a restless night waiting to find out if the liver would be a suitable for Paris.

The family had been told to expect a few false alarms but at 9am they were told it was a match.

“We were frightened and she had a bit of an allergic reaction but she was on the intensive care unit for just one night,” said Mrs Jones.

“She has been playing with her dad as much as she can. When we saw her on Friday the yellow colouring she had was almost gone and her swollen belly has gone down – we are so pleased with how she is doing.”