Cardiologist: 'Transplant girl was special'
Just two weeks ago, Zoe Chambers and her family were
celebrating the new life a heart transplant had given her.
-
Zoe Chambers, who has died more than a year after having a heart transplant, with her mother Julie
On June 28, the first anniversary of the life-saving
surgery, Zoe was partying with family and friends after taking
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her first steps, reducing her medication and planning an
appearance as the youngest entrant at the British Transplant
Games.
But on Saturday evening tragedy struck.
The Mail understands Zoe fell ill at the family home in St
Nicholas Avenue, west Hull.
She was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary's paediatric accident
and emergency department, where doctors battled to save her
life.
But, despite their best efforts, Zoe passed away.
Today, as Zoe's parents, Julie and Rob, both 34, grieve with
Zoe's six-year-old brother Dylan at home, tributes have poured
in for the youngster who in the past year amazed doctors with
the speed of her recovery.
Dr Richard Kirk, the transplant cardiologist at Newcastle
Freeman Hospital, where Zoe spent many months before and after
surgery, said staff were in shock.
He said: “We accommodate half the transplant children in the
country and they don't come any more special than Zoe. Her
death is a terrible tragedy.
“All the staff at the hospital who helped Zoe when she was
here are devastated.
“Zoe spent a long time in our care, from first being
admitted through to the after-care she received, and we get
very close to the children, so it's utterly devastating when
they suffer.”
Before getting her new heart, Zoe suffered six heart attacks
and survived for 100 days attached to a Berlin Heart – a
£100,000 piece of equipment that kept her alive.
The need for a new heart became so desperate Zoe was
fast-tracked to the top of the European transplant list and at
one point doctors gave her 24 hours to live.
After her transplant Zoe returned home and had been going
from strength to strength.
She began eating proper food, enabling her family to remove
a gastric nasal tube, and on Mother's Day this year she took
her first steps.
Dr Kirk told the Mail he had been treating Zoe for about 18
months and the circumstances surrounding her sudden death were
uncommon.
He said: “What happened to Zoe is so unfortunate and
extremely uncommon.
“To die after a year following the huge steps forward she
had taken is unheard of in our experience.
“She was doing so well. We expected her to take much more
time to recover, but she didn't and that was testament to her
strength.”
Zoe had become an icon for organ donation nationally.
A spokesman for UK Transplant said: “We are deeply saddened
to hear of Zoe's sudden death and our thoughts are with her
family.
“Zoe and her parents have played a significant role in
encouraging more of us to join the NHS Organ Donor
Register.”
Comments
by loiswag
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 8:10AM
“@ l84ad8_1982
There is a SPAM message going around on Facebook saying htat this little girl will get a free transplant if she gets 1000 shares.
This must be heartbreaking for the mother to see this still going around as a virus on the internet. There have been over 50000 shares."Zoe and her parents have played a significant role in encouraging more of us to join the NHS Organ Donor register" This would be a better message to share. See http://tinyurl.com/8xwcc4o
As Steve Williamson explains on the Hoax Slayer website, the picture is of a baby called Zoe Chambers and her mother Julie:
"The caption on the circulating photograph claims that baby Zoe will receive a free heart transplant if the picture receives 1000 Facebook shares. However, this caption is a blatant lie. Zoe suffered from CHD (congenital heart disorder) and received a heart transplant operation in 2007. Sadly in July 2008 she passed away. Zoe's mother Julie is extremely upset by this cruel and totally unauthorised use of Zoe's picture."”
by l84ad8_1982
Monday, February 13 2012, 7:13AM
“@ g, hull. You wonder why Mark asked what happened to this little girl, well after working many years within the medical industry it is often one of the first questions that most people wonder or ask. You need not get upset with him for it as it is a perfectly natural questions and only shows that he truly cared about what happened to this beautiful little girl. I know that my comment falls many years after the event of her death but it just shows that, still to this day around the world, there are still many people that are saddened by the death of this girl and we all keep her and her family in our prayers. God bless Zoe and her family. Tiffany & Brayden McPhail. Ontario, Canada.”
by l84ad8_1982
Monday, February 13 2012, 7:12AM
“@ g, hull. You wonder why Mark asked what happened to this little girl, well after working many years within the medical industry it is often one of the first questions that most people wonder or ask. You need not get upset with him for it as it is a perfectly natural questions and only shows that he truly cared about what happened to this beautiful little girl. I know that my comment falls many years after the event of her death but it just shows that, still to this day around the world, there are still many people that are saddened by the death of this girl and we all keep her and her family in our prayers. God bless Zoe and her family. Tiffany & Brayden McPhail. Ontario, Canada.”
by michelle, hull
Tuesday, July 15 2008, 11:05PM
“my heartfelt sympathys go out 2 julie rob and dylan on the sad and tragic loss of little zoe she was a real little tropper with a smile 2 make anybody smile heaven as gained a beautiful angel play safley zoe will never forget your cheeky smile so so so very sorry xxx”
by Sandra, Hessle
Tuesday, July 15 2008, 10:45PM
“Heartfelt Sympathy to Julie & all Zoe's family, A Brave Little Girl, taken from a loving family WHY ????. Our thoughts are with you. Sandra, Andrew & Rachael”
by Rich (1), Hull
Tuesday, July 15 2008, 10:18PM
“Steve, fantastic words.
g.Hull I echo the sentiments towrads Mark Hessle, at the end of the day it was a qestion that any one would ask.......................
God Bless Ya Zoe, another bud plunked from the tree of life, to be taken and nurtured in God's Garden to bloom and bloom, she is in a place where she will never grow old , as each day dawns and the sun casts it's rays across the sky, we will all remember that little ray of sunshine they called Zoe.
I for one would like to thank the hospital teams, doctors nursses, everybody who had give the little Princess a chance, and this is from a stranger”
by CLAIRE MORPETH, Newcastle upon Tyne
Tuesday, July 15 2008, 9:23PM
“Deeply shocked and upset.
We'll miss you Zoe XX”
by g, hull
Tuesday, July 15 2008, 8:59PM
“mark, i dont know if u are related or have suffered a similar tragedy, but in the circumstances, surely it is not important to the readers how. is only important that we all send thoughts and thank whatever power that she had the life she did.”
by Kirsty Hicks, Hull
Tuesday, July 15 2008, 8:25PM
“I am so sorry. I too have lost a child and it is heartbreaking. Zoe was beautiful and a little fighter you must be very proud of her. My thoughts are with the whole family”
by Angie, hampshire
Tuesday, July 15 2008, 3:26PM
“thoughts are with th family, god bless and good night zoe.
A Spinks”