A MOTHER who had an emergency liver transplant half way through her pregnancy has given thanks to the donor who saved both her life and that of her unborn baby.
Laura Milby, from Glasgow, suffered acute liver failure in January while 18 weeks pregnant and was told that her baby was unlikely to survive while she underwent transplant surgery.
But now the 29-year-old is ready to celebrate a special Mother's Day this Sunday with her husband David and four-year-old daughter Sarah as the family prepare for the arrival of its next member in June.
Ms Milby's illness was first noticed at her 12-week ante-natal appointment in November, when she complained of itchy skin, a symptom she thought was related to her pregnancy.
After being referred to Glasgow's Southern General Hospital for a series of tests, her condition became critical over Christmas and she was transferred to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh suffering acute liver failure.
She was placed on the super-urgent transplant list and was sent for surgery the next day when a donor became available.
She said: "I was admitted on my little girl Sarah's fourth birthday and nobody in my family was prepared for what was going to happen. I went from feeling unwell to being told that without a transplant I was going to die.
"The risks were explained to me and my husband David, and we were told the baby was unlikely to survive the surgery. We knew to expect the worst but doctors explained that the priority was to save my life.
"The hospital arranged for me to go for a scan before I went for the transplant so we could see the baby's heartbeat and find out the sex. It was heartbreaking as it felt like we were saying goodbye."
Thanks to the skill of the surgical team, the operation was a success and both mother and baby came through unharmed.
Ms Milby spent a month in hospital recovering and being closely monitored. Her condition was diagnosed as non-A-E Hepatitis, although its cause is unknown.
She said: "To be told after my surgery that the baby had survived was completely overwhelming. I've been told what happened to me is very rare and it still feels surreal. I didn't realise how ill I was until after I had the transplant.
"I don't think my illness would have been picked up as early if I hadn't been pregnant, because I thought the symptoms of my liver disease were a side effect of pregnancy. Everything has been a complete miracle."
"The care I've received has been amazing. I'm just so pleased to be at home with my little girl Sarah, as she went through a lot whilst I was ill and in hospital recovering. Mother's Day this year will be a very special one."
Laura is backing the Organ Donation Scotland campaign to highlight how transplantation saves lives and encourage Scots to share their organ donation wishes. She is in the process of trying to write a letter to the family of her donor.
She said: "I couldn't be more grateful. My life was hanging in the balance and the transplant turned everything around. I'd never had to think about organ donation before this happened to me, but most of my family are now on the NHS Organ Donor Register, and I want to do as much as I can to raise awareness about the difference it can make."
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