The UK’s first baby heart transplant survivor is celebrating a quarter of a century since her historic operation.
Kaylee Davidson-Olley, of Houghton-le-Spring, near Sunderland, was just five months old when she had the operation at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital. To mark 25 years since the procedure, Ms Davidson-Olley will meet medical experts from around the world at Newcastle’s Centre for Life later. She will be joined by 30 other patients who got new hearts aged under a year.
Ms Davidson-Olley, a shop sales advisor, regularly takes part in the World Transplant Games and has spent her life campaigning to get more people on the organ donor list. She said: “I cannot believe that I am fit and healthy 25 years after my transplant. ”This was only made possible because of the generosity of a family who made that important decision about organ donation, a decision that saved my life. Without that family discussing organ donation, I simply would not be here.” Edited from Kaylee Davidson-Olley marks 25 years with new heart.
