'Little ray of hope' Eve beats odds in UK-first pig skin procedure!
A 2 year old from Doncaster can be a ‘little ray of hope’ for families nationwide thanks to a UK-first operation involving a pig skin transplant performed at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
Eve Phillipson was diagnosed with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) while still in the womb. The condition, which affects one in every 10,000 new-born babies, occurs when there is a hole in the muscle that separates the chest from the stomach.
This causes the bowel and other organs to enter the chest and squash the developing lungs. While the majority of CDH sufferers have small holes in the diaphragm, Eve’s was missing completely and she required immediate life support when she was born.
The pioneering five-hour procedure saw two of the three muscles in Eve’s abdominal wall being delicately turned to create a natural diaphragm. Medically-sterilised pig skin was then used to reinforce the weakness in her abdominal wall.
It was carried out in the state-of-the-art 'Theatre of the Future' funded entirely by your donations. This enabled the most sophisticated form of keyhole surgery to be available and can also allow footage to be sent to remote locations for teaching and training.
The Children’s Hospital Charity is also funding research to improve the information provided to surgeons and parents during pregnancy where CDH is suspected in the unborn baby, by producing 3D animations and models.
The worrying time waiting for birth is something Eve’s Mum Rebecca was all too aware of: “It was quite overwhelming. We were told she had a 50:50 chance of survival and we didn’t know the extent of the damage. It was an emotional rollercoaster and an incredibly anxious time”.
The lead researcher Dr Elspeth H Whitby commented: “The project wouldn’t have been possible without funding from The Children’s Hospital Charity. The research will benefit any family dealing with CDH in Yorkshire and could be implemented nationwide if successful”.
Charity Director David Vernon-Edwards added: “We are very proud to play an important role in ensuring that innovative research continues to be funded, helping children to get better and lead full lives. Eve’s incredible resilience is an inspiration to us all”.
Eve continues to require 24/7 ventilation and oxygen due to the initial damage caused by her condition, which resulted in the collapse of her left lung. Her family are hopeful that she will be able to live without the support in the future.
Nevertheless it’s clear that the youngster today lives as happy a life as any two year-old in spite of the challenges she faces.
“She smiles, she plays, she’s mischievous, she’s funny; what more can you ask for than that" added Rebecca.
The CDH study forms part of The Children’s Hospital Charity’s annual commitment to spend up to £250,000 on research into the prevention and cure of childhood illnesses. Find out more here