THE heartbroken parents of a Stalybridge teenager who died before she was able to undergo a liver transplant are determined to make the life-saving process of donating blood and organs more accessible.
Kathryn and Stuart Almond have founded the charity Maisie Moo’s Missions in their daughter’s name, to “make sure Maisie’s light continues to shine through helping others”.
There were just 17 days between Maisie falling ill and dying in hospital, at the age of 14. It started when Maisie complained of a stomach ache on September 15, 2024.
“We thought that she had a normal childhood tummy bug,” Kathryn explained. “She went to bed earlier and during the night, woke up complaining of a tummy ache. We gave her pain relief and she went back to sleep. She stayed off school the next day.
“That evening, we noticed the whites of her eyes began to turn yellow. We took her to the local hospital A&E, they ran blood tests and thought she could have hepatitis, which was a complete shock but reassured it was treatable.
“She stayed in hospital for a couple of days before being allowed home but she continued to feel unwell, was looking more jaundiced and began vomiting so we took her back to A&E. Blood test results confirmed it was not hepatitis and the reason for her being unwell was not known. The local hospital was in daily contact with the specialist liver team based in Leeds.”
‘We are utterly heartbroken’
On September 26, 2024, Maisie was transferred to the liver team in Leeds as her liver function was becoming more deranged.
Less than 24 hours later, Kathryn and Stuart were told that Maisie was in acute liver failure and, urgently needing a liver transplant to survive, she was placed at the top of the transplant list.
“We were totally shocked and utterly devastated,” Kathryn told the Correspondent. “Within 48 hours of being in the Intensive care Unit, Maisie began to suffer from encephalopathy and was sedated to protect her brain and put on dialysis to support her kidneys.
“On October 1, we got the news that a suitable donor liver had been found and preparations for a liver transplant began. Throughout the day, Maisie’s condition continued to deteriorate. She was taken to theatre just before midnight but was too unwell for the operation and she died in our arms in the early hours of October 2.
“Never ever did we think that this would have happened to our beautiful daughter Maisie. You never know when your life could change forever. Her loss is unimaginable, we are utterly heartbroken.”
‘Difficult to find a local blood donation venue’
Determined for something good to come of their heartbreak, her parents have found strength in wanting to make a difference to others in Maisie’s memory. Just two days after her death, they launched a JustGiving page called ‘Maisie Moo’s Missions’.
“That evening, the Aurora Borealis, a.k.a. The Northern Lights, shone brightly and turned the night sky a beautiful shade of pink – which is Maisie’s favourite colour and a strong sign from our Maisie that she approved,” said Kathryn.
While in hospital, Maisie received blood and would have needed significantly more during her 12-hour transplant operation.
The NHS currently has an ‘amber’ warning in place, which means blood stocks are critically low. It’s only the second time in the history of NHS Blood Donation that it’s been issued – the first time was during the Covid pandemic.
Kathryn and Stuart wanted to understand how they could help and arranged a meeting with NHS Blood Donation.
“We explained that we had set up a social media campaign encouraging our family, friends, colleagues and strangers to make an appointment to give blood,” Kathryn told us.
“However, the feedback we received was that it’s difficult to find an appointment at a local venue. Many appointments are in city centres or there’s a wait of up to three months at a local venue.
“We were shocked to learn that NHS Blood Donation spends around £4 – 5 million each year just on hiring venues. There is only so much budget, hence a shortage of local blood donation venues that people can easily travel to.”
‘We want to help the NHS save money’
Kathryn and Stuart say they are proud to be holding a first joint blood donation session with the NHS team on Thursday, April 10, at All Saints Catholic College in Dukinfield – Maisie’s former school, who have generously provided the space free of charge.
They are encouraging as many eligible blood donors as possible to sign up by clicking here.
“In just 60 minutes, donating one pint of blood can save or improve up to three lives,” concluded Kathyn. “People are willing to give blood, it just needs to be made easier for them by providing a greater choice of local venues.
“We want to help the NHS to save money on venue hire fees by encouraging venues to provide their space for free.”
More information about the charity Maisie Moo’s Missions can be found on the Facebook page by clicking here.