South Normanton girl who was one of the smallest babies ever to have a liver transplant celebrates her 10th birthday

In 2008, tiny Trinity Walters' life was saved when she became one of the smallest babies in the world to have a liver transplant.

This week it is her 10th birthday and her grateful mum and dad are marking the occasion by urging people to support organ donation.

Bubbly Trinity, a pupil at Kirkstead, Pinxton, is a chirpy reminder of why the gift of life is so precious.

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Her two loves are dancing and anything to do with space and the universe.

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Leonna Walters with baby Trinitywho has just had a liver transplant08-2571-3
Leonna Walters with baby Trinitywho has just had a liver transplant
08-2571-3 Leonna Walters with baby Trinitywho has just had a liver transplant

This week she told your Chad: “We are going to the National Space Centre on my birthday – I love space, it is so interesting,” she said. She is even having a birthday cake with the planets

illustrated on it.

Trinity added: “I think people should make sure to go on the

organ donor list.

People ask me questions at school about what happened to me and tell them how important it is.” She goes dancing twice a week, practicing ballroom and Latin dancing at Lauren Monks School of Dance.

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Trinity weighed 5lbs 6oz when she born on the top of the stairs at her parents’ home.

Within days, she was fighting a rare liver condition.

That led to her being placed on the “super urgent” transplant list at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where her mum, Leonna, and dad, David, waited 22 days for a donor.

Trinity’s family faced the agonising wait to see if a donor would be found in time and if their little girl would be strong enough to pull through the operation.

Surgeons then spent nine hours removing her liver and replacing it with a section from a child, whose bereaved parents gave permission for his organs to help save others.

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After spending 10 weeks at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and watching their baby go through the operation, Leonna and David were finally able to bring Trinity home.

Leonna said she would always be grateful to Trinity’s donor and hopes her remarkable story will inspire others to sign up to the Organ Donor Register.

She said: “Trinity struggles with stamina but always tries her best.

“We would still like to promote signing up to the organ registrar as so many children are waiting for organs but not all are as lucky as Trinity.

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“She will at sometime in the near future need a new liver which is very scary for us.

“We take each day as it comes and thank the donor family for the life they gave to Trinity when their 11-year-old boy died.

“Trinity attends Birmingham Children’s Hospital on a regular basis to keep a check on her, and also King’s Mill every month for her bloods, they also do an amazing job.

“Trinity is on lots of medication daily and will be for the rest of her life, but she leads as normal life as she can.

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“Reaching the age of 10 was unthinkable when she was waiting for her transplant at just four weeks old,

“The hospital had passed us details for hospices as they didn’t give her any hope after a 22-day wait on the super urgent transplant list.

“She is such a character and leaves a place in the hearts of everyone she meets.”

Leonna is raising awareness of the Organ Donor Register, giving blood and raising cash for the Childrens’ Liver Disease Foundation.

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“Thousands of people are not as lucky as Trinity and die waiting for transplants,” she said.

“It is so important for people to pass on the gift of life once they are gone by donating their organs.”

The family are hoping that Trinity’s fight will raise awareness of the condition and the help and support the family were given from the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF).

n For more information on the CLDF visit www.

childliverdisease.org