Seaham girl gives medal from British Transplant Games to mother of heart donor

It's a gift like no other and here's the moment it was given.

Seaham girl Kayleigh Llewellyn, who had a heart transplant four years ago, took on a run when she competed at the British Transplant Games recently.

She had the medal she won especially engraved and encased in a presentation box.

It reads: "Our hearts are one now, my beautiful donor."

Then she presented it to the mother of Sinead Bree - the 19-year-old whose heart Kayleigh now has.

Sinead's mum Shirley was reduced to tears by the gift but Kayleigh and her family say they owe her everything.

Kayleigh's dad Shaun Sidney said: "We just want to get across the point of how powerful organ donation is.

'Sinead is living on through her'

"We know there is sorrow for the donor family and grief as well. But Shirley has told us that she gets so much comfort from seeing the progress that Kayleigh is making.

"She said that Sinead was living on through her."

A year of dreams for Kayleigh

This year has been one of amazing milestones for Kayleigh.

She completed her last ever day at New Seaham Academy in June.

Kayleigh wants to be a paramedic and has secured a place at college to study health and social care, with a view to eventually saving the lives of others.

She celebrated her 16th birthday with friends and family on a party bus and with a silent disco in Newcastle.

She had her prom and was taken to the venue by one of the transplant team in a Ford Mustang.

So determined to do the Games

But the Transplant Games was one of her biggest goals of the year.

Shaun said: "Kayleigh really wanted to do it. She had the medal boxed and inscribed with the words 'our hearts are one now, my beautiful donor'.

Kayleigh had become unwell suddenly in 2019, after waking up for school complaining that she was struggling to breathe.

10 operations, 100 stitches and 102 days in hospital

Parents Shaun Sidney and Sonia Llewellyn initially thought it was asthma, but when Kayleigh woke up the following day with a sore chest they took her to Sunderland Royal Hospital.

There, medics found that Kayleigh’s heart rate was too high and she was sent to the Freeman.

Kayleigh had her transplant in November 2019 but only came home in January 2020 after 102 days in hospital.

Find out more about organ donations

She had 10 operations – some of them lasting 13 hours - had 100 stitches and was given a new heart.

Kayleigh won a Child of Courage trophy at the Best of Wearside Awards in 2021.

For more on organ donation, visit https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/