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'Let me die' girl gets new heart after airlift to Great Ormond St
Sophie Goodchild, Health and Social Affairs Correspondent29 Jul 2009
Hannah Jones, the teenager who fought to refuse a transplant, has received a new heart at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Hannah, 14, was today recovering from the life-saving operation after doctors found a donor and airlifted her to the children's hospital.
Her parents, Kirsty, 42, a former nurse and Andrew, 43, an auditor, from Hereford, were at her bedside following the successful surgery by a team of experts.
A family friend said: "She's a brave kid and everyone is praying she makes a full recovery. But it's a major operation and it will be a few days before she is out of the woods."
Hannah made legal history last year when she won her bid to stop doctors forcing her to undergo a transplant so she could spend more time with her family. But last week the leukaemia patient, who has suffered acute heart problems since the age of four, changed her mind and was immediately placed back on the transplant list.
Her "difficult" decision came after she suffered partial kidney failure five days after her birthday on 12 July.
Doctors rushed her to Hereford Hospital but she could not receive dialysis because her heart was too weak to cope. It meant she had no option but to go back on the transplant list or risk total kidney failure.
In a recent interview, she said: "After lots of tests I realised there were more benefits to having a new heart than staying like I was.
"If I had a new heart I'd be on less tablets than I am at the moment. I know I decided I definitely didn't want this but everyone is entitled to change their mind."
Doctors decided in advance Hannah would have the transplant at Great Ormond St when an organ became available and she was placed at the top of a transplant list.
Her mother and father say they are delighted she changed her mind after their daughter said she was "sick" of hospitals and could not face the trauma of more surgery. The teenager has been in and out of hospital since first being diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia at the age of five.
Doctors gave her three doses of a high-strength drug designed to kill off an infection after she was diagnosed with the cancer. But the drugs caused a hole to develop in her heart, which meant a transplant would provide her only long-term chance of survival.
Yet Hannah refused because she decided there were too many risks and that there might be a "bad outcome". The case received national attention when Hereford Hospital instigated High Court proceedings in a bid to remove Hannah from her parents' custody to allow the transplant. Health officials abandoned the proceedings after the teenager made her case to a child protection officer. The High Court in London decided Hannah was mature enough to make the decision for herself and threw out the court order. The family later received a letter from the hospital insisting it always put the patient's "best interests" first but stopped short of an apology.
Great Ormond St confirmed today Hannah was a patient at the hospital but declined to comment further.
Reader views (5)
The life is struggle. But our forces run low. And then we address to the God... All kindest, Hannah!
- Fr.Vladimir Shchanov, Lyskovo, Russia, 29/07/2009 21:45
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Good luck to her and her family. She deserves a break after all this treatment, and some good luck and health. Wishing you a speedy recovery Hannah.
- Smb, London, UK, 29/07/2009 13:20
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That's great. I hope she recovers well. She's right everyone is entitled to change their mind and make informed decisions what is best for them.
- David Reid, London, 29/07/2009 13:19
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Best wishes to Hannah and her family.
- Chris Ward, Bessonies, France, 29/07/2009 12:01
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Sensible girl. She´s made a wise decision at last. Let´s hope now that she makes a full recovery.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 29/07/2009 11:51
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