Heart transplant teen gives back to hospital staff who saved her life one year on

Kayleigh Llewellyn was just 12 when she underwent a heart transplant on November 24, 2019, after being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy – a form of heart disease.The youngster, from Earl Street, in Seaham, was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital with chest pains before being transferred to the Freeman Hospital’s Children’s Heart Unit in Newcastle when doctors discovered that her heart rate was too high.

After four weeks in intensive care, Kayleigh was placed on the urgent transplant list for a new heart last November.

Parents Shaun Sidney and Sonia Llewellyn prayed for a miracle and their prayers were answered when Kayleigh was given a new heart a month before Christmas.

The transplant was a success and after a period in hospital, Kayleigh was finally able to return home with her family, where she has been making a strong recovery.

Now as she prepares to spend Christmas at home with her family, the caring 13-year-old made time to drop off Christmas gifts to children and staff at the Freeman Hospital in an effort to thank those who helped to save her life.

Dad Shaun said: “It was an emotional but wonderful experience to be delivering all the gifts for the children and parents.

"We dropped off hampers for ward staff, Clinic E staff, surgeon staff, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit staff and the transplant team.

"We also donated £300 for CHUF essential supplies and £100 Amazon vouchers for Scott House.

"Thank you to all our family and friends for your contribution, love you all.”

The family – who made the special deliveries on Monday, December 21 – also thanked Kayleigh’s football league, the Russell Foster league, Sainsbury's in Horden, Tesco in Seaham and Taylormade timber products in Durham.

In an effort to raise funds Kayleigh had also been making and selling necklaces via her Instagram page every.beat_counts as well as carrying out sponsored exercise on her static bike at home.

Kayleigh said: “Thank you to all the Freeman Hospital staff and thank you to those who bought my necklaces which helped to make this all possible.”

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