Transplant miracle
A 14-year-old Australian girl has been describes as a one-in-six-billion miracle girl
Demi-Lee Brennan was only nine years old when she became seriously ill. Doctors believe a, so far, unidentified virus caused her liver to fail. Demi-Lee needed a life-saving liver transplant. A donor was found but nine months later Demi-Lee's health worsened again. Doctors could not tell why.
During those first nine months, Demi-Lee took routine anti-rejection drugs after her liver transplant surgery. Then doctors discovered that Demi-Lee's body had begun to destroy its own blood cells and, at the same time, the donor's blood stem cells took over her immune system. They stopped the anti-rejection drugs, realising her blood type, and immune system, had taken on the characteristics of her organ donor.
Demi-Lee is the first transplant patient where this has ever happened. Doctors are mystified at her body's ability to accept a new liver and then produce new blood cells on its own.
Another unexpected development, and a medical first, is that her blood group changed from O Negative to O Positive, as a result of her body seeming to perform its own bone marrow transplant. Now, six years on, apart from a scar, Demi-Lee , is like any healthy teenager. She says it's hard to believe and when she looks back it doesn't feel like it happened.
During those first nine months, Demi-Lee took routine anti-rejection drugs after her liver transplant surgery. Then doctors discovered that Demi-Lee's body had begun to destroy its own blood cells and, at the same time, the donor's blood stem cells took over her immune system. They stopped the anti-rejection drugs, realising her blood type, and immune system, had taken on the characteristics of her organ donor.
Demi-Lee is the first transplant patient where this has ever happened. Doctors are mystified at her body's ability to accept a new liver and then produce new blood cells on its own.
Another unexpected development, and a medical first, is that her blood group changed from O Negative to O Positive, as a result of her body seeming to perform its own bone marrow transplant. Now, six years on, apart from a scar, Demi-Lee , is like any healthy teenager. She says it's hard to believe and when she looks back it doesn't feel like it happened.