By writer to www.dailyrecord.co.uk
A courageous wee boy returns to high school right this moment carrying garments 4 sizes larger after the “greatest summer season of his life”.
Christopher Cairney, seven, had a kidney transplant throughout lockdown and is now having fun with his new discovered freedom.
And as he runs about together with his wee sister, Lexii, 5, wanting each inch a typical seven-year-old, it’s onerous to imagine his mum was instructed he wouldn’t reside to 2 weeks outdated.
Christopher, from Larkhall, Lanarkshire was recognized with kidney dysplasia – a situation the place one or two kidneys don’t develop correctly within the womb – and stage 5 renal failure when he was only a week outdated.
Due to his kidney issues, since beginning he has been unable to eat foods excessive in potassium like bananas, yogurt, chocolate and tomatoes – which additionally dominated out his favorite meals Pepperoni pizza.
And till this summer season he had by no means visited the seashore or splashed within the sea to forestall the dialysis tube in his abdomen changing into contaminated.
A 12 months on from his kidney transplant his life has been reworked however his life regarded a lot bleaker within the days following his beginning.
His mum Stacey, 27, mentioned: “I had Christopher on the Thursday and bought dwelling on the Saturday however we bought despatched again into Wishaw Basic on the Monday as a result of he had misplaced 15 per cent of his birthweight.”
Two days later a physician instructed Stacey Christopher was “ a really sick child” and so they have been planning to switch him to the Royal Hospital for Kids in Glasgow. He was transferred at per week outdated.
Stacey mentioned: “That first Friday we have been in Glasgow they instructed me that he wouldn’t see the next Friday.”
Stacey, then simply 21, remembered: “My ears began ringing and I didn’t hear anything.”
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In opposition to the chances, Christopher pulled via and Stacey discovered rapidly to suit feeding tubes.
By two years outdated he was having dialysis 3 times per week which meant he and his mum have been separated from his child sister.
He grew up in hospital, taking his dialysis and all of the resultant blood checks in his stride.
He was positioned on the kidney transplant checklist simply after he turned 5 and was on it for a 12 months earlier than he was moved on to the emergency checklist.
On Might 25 final 12 months the household obtained the information that they had been ready for – an ideal match had been discovered.
Stacey mentioned: “We bought a cellphone name at 5.50am to inform me there was a possible kidney for Christopher. I bounced proper up off my sofa and began screaming on the high of my lungs. It was simply elating.
“I had dreamt of today for so long as I can keep in mind.
“I imagined it with household help however due to lockdown it was simply the 2 of us.”
Christopher had all the time picked over meals, with barely an urge for food, however when he returned to the common ward after his surgical procedure the next day he demanded a Chinese language perform and ate “lots of”.
He has been consuming Stacey out of home and residential ever since. She added: “He was solely ever allowed a shallow tub to cowl his legs however now he has baths with bubbles as much as his neck.”
And for the primary time this 12 months they loved a household vacation in Burntisland, Fife.
Stacey mentioned: “It’s been unbelievable to look at my boy working in regards to the seashore, out and in the water and enjoying like all the opposite wee boys.
“He bought his dream of a pool celebration for his birthday in July – simply our wee bubble nevertheless it was actually particular.
“That is the primary ever summer season that didn’t embody a hospital go to.
“Christopher has modified a lot. He’s taken an actual stretch and stuffed out.
“When he began in P1 he was in age three to 4 garments. I’ve simply bought him his new uniform and he’s in age seven to eight and his jacket is a 9 to 10.
Christopher has been beneath the care of specialists on the Royal Hospital for Kids all his life and continues to be monitored by his kidney group.
And right this moment as Christopher begins major two he’ll get to be a correct large brother to Lexii and information her via her first day in school.
Dr Ben Reynolds, Christopher’s kidney physician, mentioned: “Everybody within the group is delighted with how nicely Christopher has performed after his transplant.
“He was a bundle of vitality on dialysis and was recurrently as much as mischief on the ward.
“It’s unbelievable that every one his vitality and mischievousness is now used up at dwelling and college as an alternative.”
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