Girl's transplant hope over hospital doll campaign

Laura Gilbert's daughter Sophie needs a double lung transplant

The mother of a 10-year-old girl who needs a lung transplant is hoping a hospital doll based on her daughter could inspire life-saving organ donations.

Sophie Joscelyne, who lives in Poole, Dorset, has been waiting for a matching organ since May.

In November, the NHS placed hundreds of dolls in hospital waiting rooms, representing more than 230 UK children on transplant waiting lists.

Sophie's mother, Laura Gilbert, urged parents to consider how they would feel if their own child needed a transplant.

Sophie has been waiting for a double lung transplant for seven months

She said: "The thought that Sophie's life could change at any moment never leaves your mind.

"It goes back to - would you prepared to accept an organ if your child became unwell? And if so, would you be prepared for your child to be an organ donor?"

The Waiting to Live doll campaign asks parents to discuss the issue of donating their child's organs at an early stage, so they are more prepared in the event of an unexpected tragedy.

Sophie's doll is at Great Ormond Street Hospital

Sophie needs a double lung transplant to enable surgery to repair a large congenital heart defect.

Her condition has been managed with medication but now she suffers from tiredness and headaches, as well as "missing out on a lot of things", Ms Gilbert said.

Sophie's is one of four dolls that has been placed at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London - the hospital that will carry out her surgery.

There is currently a significant lack of child organ donors, according to the NHS.

Angie Scales, lead nurse for paediatric organ donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, urged families to talk about it before they are faced with having to make the decision.

"When organ donation becomes a possibility, it is often in very sudden or unexpected circumstances," she said.

"When families have already had the opportunity to consider organ donation previously... it makes a difficult situation that bit easier."