Brave heart transplant girl Beatrix gets a wonderful Christmas boost

A brave Wearside youngster is lapping up her first Christmas since she had a heart transplant.

And it couldn't have got off to a better start for two-year-old Beatrix Archbold.

'She has been super excited about it'

She got to switch on the tree lights at County Hall in Durham.

Beatrix, whose mum Cheryl is from Sunderland, was all dressed in red and white and sporting a fine pair of Christmas tree glasses as she performed the ceremony.

Bea’s dad Terry, said: “Bea has been super excited about switching on the lights. It is her first Christmas out of hospital so this is a tremendous thing to do for her.

“She would not be here to turn on the lights or to experience Christmas if it wasn’t for the gift of life from her donor family and we think of them every day.

“In many ways the spirit of Christmas has echoes in the power of organ donation – from darkness, light.

14 months on a hospital ward

Beatrix suffered heart failure in May 2022 and spent 14 months at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, waiting for a suitable donor to be found for a heart transplant.

During that time, she underwent surgery to attach a “Berlin Heart” device, which kept her heart functioning by mechanically pumping blood around her body.

Doing well on daily medication

It was in the summer of 2023 that she received her new heart and is now doing well, although she remains on daily medication and attends regular hospital appointments to check on her recovery.

She was joined by her parents, Terry Archbold and Cheryl Adamson, older sister Eliza, and her grandparents, Celina and David Archbold for the lights ceremony.

Coun Joan Nicholson, Chair of Durham County Council, helped Beatrix to switch the lights on.

She said: "“It was fantastic to meet Bea and her family. It’s great to see that she is recovering well and enjoying all the excitement involved in the run-up to Christmas in a way she hasn’t been able to previously.

'Making a difficult choice can save several lives'

Cllr Nicholson added: “By sharing Bea's journey, her family are raising awareness of the importance of organ donation.

"Many of us can’t imagine the strength it must take to give the gift of life whilst dealing with the devastation of losing a loved one, but hopefully Bea’s story can inspire people to think about organ donation and to recognise that making a difficult choice can save several lives.”

Terry and Cheryl previously lost their daughter Isabel when she was stillborn in 2018.

They made the difficult decision to donate her organs to help children who were in need of a transplant and are now urging others to think about organ donation.

For more information about organ donation, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk .

Find out Bea’s latest news on her blog at www.facebook.com/BeatrixHeart22 .