BRITAIN'S first surviving heart transplant baby raised awareness of the need for children's organs at a reception at the House of Commons yesterday.
Kaylee Davidson, now 18, from Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, met MPs at the event organised by national charity the Children's Heart Foundation (CHF) to coincide with International Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Day.
At the reception, CHF warned that children with heart conditions were needlessly at risk of medical complications and death through failure to monitor surgical guidelines.
Ms Davidson, a member of support group Heart Transplant Families Together (HTFT), said it had been an opportunity to get the message across that children need organs too.
"When you say 'heart transplant', most people think of adults, not a baby or a young child or teenager," she said.
"I would not be here today without the generosity of a parent allowing the gift of life."
Her mother, Carol Davidson, chairwoman of HTFT, said: "Children are dying on the transplant waiting list. When Kaylee was a baby, I prayed that someone would make the ultimate gift to my child.
"I urge people to consider organ donation and, most importantly, talk to their families about their wishes as ultimately, if the possibility arises, relatives will need to make decisions based on their loved ones wishes or in the case of a child, have discussed this subject as a family."
CHF used yesterday's event to call on the Department of Health to enforce paediatric heart care standards that were developed in 2003.
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