Seaham girl who needed a new heart begins studying towards becoming a paramedic as she dreams of helping others

The youngster who had a heart transplant in 2019 has just found out she’s got a place at college to study the skills she needs to become a paramedic.

Kayleigh is now 15 and has already smashed her mock exams with distinctions at New Seaham Academy.

Kayleigh is such a hard worker at school

She is working hard to excel at her GCSEs in the next few weeks, even though she missed 18 months of education.

And Kayleigh has just received an email this week to say she has secured a place at college to study health and social care, with a view to eventually saving the lives of others.

Super proud dad Shaun Sidney said: “After everything she has been through. this is what has spurred her on. It is what has inspired her to become a paramedic.”

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

She spent 102 days in hospital

Judges heard how she had her transplant in November 2019 but only came home in January 2020 after a truly incredible journey and 102 days in hospital.

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

She later raised money for the hospital that saved her life and then went on a mission to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation.

Shaun said: “She is always looking out for other people. Her mum and I have been blown away by it all because she never stops and it is great to see.”

“But it is all about revision at the moment and there is so much of it. She is staying behind at school as well.”

A complete turnaround after such dark days

He said it was a complete turnaround from 2019 when she underwent a heart transplant at the Freeman Hospital’s Children’s Heart Unit in Newcastle after being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease.

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

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.

She fought back so well

It came as a complete surprise to her family as they said she was a fit and active youngster, playing football and doing gymnastics right up until she

became unwell.

But Kayleigh fought back and has gone from strength to strength since.

She is also planning to take part in this year’s Transplant Games in the football category.

There’s a big birthday on the horizon too as Kayleigh will be 16 in June. It’s a day that the family thought they might never see.

For now though, it’s all about the exams and getting to college and Shaun added: “She is doing amazingly.”