Courageous County Durham heart transplant youngster becomes firefighter for the day to mark Organ Donation Week
Beatrix Adamson-Archbold, 4, underwent a heart transplant in June 2023, and got the chance to be a firefighter for the day to mark Organ Donation Week
by Adam Foster · ChronicleLiveA courageous little girl who underwent a heart transplant got the chance to be a firefighter for the day thanks to crews in County Durham.
Beatrix Adamson-Archbold loves everything about the fire service, so she was over the moon to be invited to visit Durham Fire Station with her dad Terry and mum Cheryl to mark Organ Donation Week, which runs from September 23 to September 29.
The four-year-old from Burnopfield underwent a heart transplant in June 2023 after being diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition which meant she had an enlarged heart. Beatrix spent 14 months at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle connected to a machine called a Berlin Heart, which was keeping her alive, while she waited on the urgent transplant list in the hope that a donor heart could be found.
A call finally came that a donor had been found and Beatrix underwent the life-saving surgery.
Dad Terry, 46, said: “In the midst of losing their own child, a brave family had agreed to organ donation. Their selfless decision saved Beatrix’s life and the lives of several other children. Beatrix has been so lucky as there are so many kids waiting for a life-saving transplant.”
Beatrix returned home to her family a month after receiving her new heart and is now thriving. The family are now lobbying the new Government to add organ donation to the national curriculum.
The youngster got to experience her dream of being a firefighter when she recently visited the crew on Durham Red Watch. Dressed up in her own fire kit, Beatrix enjoyed driving around on the fire engines, squirting the hoses and even going up into the sky on the Arial Ladder Platform (ALP).
Dad Terry, a Sergeant with Durham Constabulary, said: “The visit to Durham Fire Station was awesome. It was a really special day. The crew made a right fuss of her; they were absolutely brilliant. She even went up on the ALP and wasn’t fazed at all! She was just waving down at the crew. She loved the day and we can’t thank them enough.”
Crew Manager Mark Bryden and the crew on Durham Red Watch were delighted to meet Beatrix and her family. “After hearing Beatrix’s story and her love of the fire service, we wanted to invite her down to the station and give her the chance to experience being a firefighter for the day.
“We all had a great time showing her around the station and giving her a chance to experience different aspects of the job. She has shown immense courage during her health battle and her story highlights the live-saving impact organ donation can have.”
This Organ Donation Week, (September 23 to 29) NHS Blood and Transplant and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) are celebrating the fact that the NHS Organ Donor Register has been saving thousands of lives for 30 years through the gift of organ donation.
People can confirm their decision to donate their organs after death on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
To find out more and confirm your decision, visit the NHS Organ Donor Register at www.organdonation.nhs.uk.
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