Maisie Almond († 14) from Manchester, who was a healthy and active teenager, she died just two weeks after complaining of abdominal pain. Her condition began to deteriorate as her eyes turned yellow, indicating jaundice. Despite several examinations and tests for hepatitis, the results were negative, he writes.
She was immediately taken to hospital, where she was admitted to Leeds General Infirmary and placed on the urgent list for a liver transplant. A suitable donor liver was found on October 1, but the delay left Maisie with brain edema and other organ damage that significantly reduced her chances of survival. According to Coroner Adrian Farrow, the delay in finding a donor represents clear risk of loss of life. The coroner added that even a day earlier the transplant could have saved her life.
Kathryn and Stuart, her parents, said they thought her abdominal pain was just a common stomach flu and did not expect such a tragedy. “We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of our beautiful baby girl,” they said. The coroner’s report also highlights the nationwide shortage of donor organs, including livers, which is particularly critical for children in the super-urgent category. The number of donors has fallen by about a third since the COVID-19 pandemic, complicating the availability of life-saving organs. A spokesman for NHS Blood and Transplant stressed that every year thousands of people wait for a life-saving transplant and every donor organ is irreplaceable.
Her sudden death also draws attention to the importance of blood and organ donation. In England, Scotland and Wales there is an “opt-out” system, which means that everyone is automatically enrolled as a donor unless they self-register. Nevertheless, it is still important for people to communicate their decision to their family, who will be consulted at the time of donation.
Donating blood is available to most people aged 17 to 66 who are healthy and weigh more than 50 kg. Men can donate blood every 12 weeks and women every 16 weeks. The donation process takes less than an hour and includes a medical examination, blood sampling and follow-up treatment. More than 6,000 donors are needed daily to meet the needs of hospitals, while there are also special campaigns targeting dark-skinned donors to help patients with specific blood types.
Maisie’s death clearly points to the urgency of improving the availability of donor organs and reducing waiting times for life-saving transplants, especially for children in the super urgent category. Every donation can save a life and increase the chances of those facing a critical medical condition.
