Young girl set to get long-awaited lifesaving liver transplant
"We were heartbroken, but was also grateful the doctors picked it up ahead of time."
An eight-year-old girl from Centurion, Abigail Hofman, with biliary atresia (a rare liver disease), is set to get a new lease on life.
A portion of her mother’s liver will be transplanted to her.
The operation was scheduled for 8 September but was postponed due to Abigail’s enlarged spleen (22cm).
“We were heartbroken, but was also grateful the doctors picked it up ahead of time,” said Abigail’s mum, Louisa.
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Abigail was still admitted on the Tuesday for a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).
This procedure entails connecting the vein – which brings blood from your gastrointestinal tract and intra-abdominal organs to your liver – and the vein from your liver to the right part of your heart.
She was discharged from the hospital after a few days.
“We will either decide this week or next week on a new date for the transplant,” she said.
Abigail was born on 14 December 2011, weighing 2,6kg.
“She was a healthy baby,” said Louisa.
“Her skin looked yellow, but as a family, we were not too concerned.
“The doctors ran a few tests and found that Abigail had biliary artesia. One of the tests was a liver biopsy. This is where our journey started,” she said.
Doctors said in 2014 that she should get her transplant.
“They started with all the tests. At that time she was still healthy and doing well. The doctors advised us that it is better to for her to keep her own liver for as long as she can.”
Last November, Abigail’s throat was shedding blood.
“I immediately took her to the doctor and they found that she has esophageal varices. These are veins in her throat that are under so much pressure that they burst and then bleed. If left untreated it can cause her to bleed to death,” she explained.
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“That’s when they decided she needs to get the transplant now because it was only going to get worse,” she said.
On 10 June this year, they put her on the transplant list.
“They did prepare us that the chances of getting a liver are small and we should rather start looking at a living donor.
“Getting a liver is very rare. Now during the pandemic, it is even harder,” she said.
“I decided to go for tests to see whether my liver will be suitable. I was advised that I would be a match, but I had to lose some weight before the operation.
“I then lost enough weight for the operation to finally take place.”
Ten days before the operation date, Abigail with Louisa, father Guy and sister Elizabeth went on a camping trip. Abigail has never gone camping and it was something she wanted to do.
“The doctors contacted us and said they needed to discuss a few things before the operation. That is when they discovered her enlarged spleen,” she said.
“They then cancelled the transplant and said they wanted to do another procedure first then they would look at transplantation again in a month.
“We were so excited and happy and experiencing so many emotions in one moment after we called everyone and shared the news. Then the devastating news came that the procedure had to be postponed.”
Louisa said Abigail lives a full life.
“She is a strong child who always stays positive. She does not feel sorry for herself and tackles everything like a winner.”
She swims, dances, does acrobatics, hockey and netball.
“She is my inspiration and will reach great heights as she also wants to become a doctor to help sick children,” her mother said.
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