17/12/2025
So happy for our Helen in sop2s! Such a beautiful written piece written by Helen .
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C3bgm955d/?mibextid=wwXIfr
This Christmas time Helen is singing joyous songs with her choir, just six months after her liver transplant:
“My name is Helen, I’m 49, and my liver journey started 8 years ago when I had to have an eye operation & being told that my liver function was high.
I then began seeing a consultant in Manchester, but still after tests there were no real concerns. I seemed to be a bit of a mystery to them but they eventually said it was due to an autoimmune disease. I was therefore put on medication, but wasn’t too concerned - I just itched occasionally.
I was working with children & I went about daily life as usual.
A few years ago, I started becoming more unwell, getting feverish, with high temperatures & feeling constantly tired. It began to affect my life more, and prevented me from living my life . At this point the medical team were looking into
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) which are both autoimmune liver diseases causing bile duct inflammation, but differ in which ducts they target.
Although I felt like it could be hormonal, as it seemed to be linked to my menstrual pattern. I was also grieving for my best friend who I had recently lost , so I wasn’t sure if the grief was affecting me physically.
At this point the pharmacist prescribed me progesterone tablets, but then I got very poorly & started to develop jaundice. This was constant throughout 2024, & got continuously worse with many stays in my local hospital.
In October 2024 a splitting headache led to another hospital admission. I was then told I had a brain tumour. This was terrifying but luckily a week later I was diagnosed with a blood clot (linked to the liver disease ) which then dispersed.
I had now lost a lot of weight, & muscle, with no appetite, and the itching was getting worse. I needed an NG feeding tube, with a pump, which I had to operate at home throughout the night. Sleeping therefore became a real struggle.
This is when I began to get assessed for a liver transplant at St James's in Leeds, as it seemed to be the only thing that would save me from whatever disease this was.
The assessment was a gruelling process with tests, scans, X-rays, cameras, more hospital stays, etc but I was finally put on the transplant list at the end of May 2025. I was so grateful because I was getting weaker & more poorly by the day.
The itching felt intolerable and I was frightened as I had to be fit enough to go through such invasive surgery
A couple of weeks later I received my first call, I couldn’t believe how quickly it happened, but unfortunately the liver didn’t quite match. Then in June, I received the best gift ever- a new liver had been kindly donated by a family grieving the loss of their loved one.
I felt better almost immediately after the transplant. My entire family, and friends, just couldn’t believe the difference in me straight away. It felt unreal and still does!
Over the past 6 months I have been getting stronger, & better, despite a few bumps in the road, & a few hospital visits, but the fact I have been given my life back gives me inner strength & spurs me on.
I feel lucky to be able to see my family & friends which is so exciting - just going for a coffee is such a luxury!
I’m so happy to be here celebrating Christmas. I'm in a local choir & have been back singing joyous songs, such a blessing!
This time last year, I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out.
As we mark this month six months since my transplant I will be praying for my donor family and remembering them especially this festive season.
I’m hoping to go back to work soon, which is unbelievable considering how ill I have been, and I simply can't wait!
I have one Christmas wish for you all - I know talking about donation can be an awkward subject, but please discuss your wishes with your family!
For instance I didn’t realise that a family can go against your wishes, so make it easier for them and tell them of your donation decisions.
Organ donation can save many lives, It most certainly saved mine & given me back my old life. I’m really looking forward to a weekend away with my family, something that was almost unheard of only 6 months .”
Please about your decisions with your loved ones, say and register your decision NHS Organ Donationion
