The miracle teenager who celebrated a day she feared she'd never see

Super Kayleigh Llewellyn is 16 years old - and her big birthday is a day her family feared might never come.

The teenager's life hung in the balance just four years ago when she needed a heart transplant.

But now she's achieving all her dreams, including some huge milestones;

Her last day at school

She completed her last ever day at New Seaham Academy last week (Fri, June 16). It's the school where she sat her GCSEs and got distinctions in her mock exams.

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 has just received a date to go for her induction.

And biggest of all, she celebrated her 16th birthday with friends and family in fantastic fashion this month.

'We were all dressed as super heroes with capes!'

Her dad Shaun Sidney said: "She wanted to do a silent disco and we booked this massive boogie bus.

'Kayleigh had this big bag and she had us all dressed as super heroes with capes!

'There were 15 of us dancing round the streets of Newcastle. We all had headphones on so we could hear the music but no-one else could.

'Look at her today. It is amazing'

'Goodness knows what people were thinking when they saw us but it is what Kayleigh wanted.

'When you think back, it was only in 2019 when she went in to hospital and was on life support, and look at her today. It is amazing."

Kayleigh's health battle came out of the blue.

She had become unwell suddenly, 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/