Coronavirus: Girl needing new kidney 'in limbo' as op postponed

A six-year-old girl who needs a new kidney has been left in limbo after her transplant was postponed due to coronavirus, her parents have said.

Sarah Emmott had her failing kidneys removed at the end of February but four weeks later her planned surgery from a live donor was put on hold.

She is now having to undergo dialysis three times a week to keep her alive.

Mother Ellie said: "We'd put so much work into finding a match for her and now we feel we're back to square one."

The youngster, who has a rare genetic kidney disease, needs a live kidney, which means it must come from a living person who can donate one.

The youngster has to go to hospital three times a week for dialysis

Many of her family members have been tested but none was found to be a match and so an appeal for a donor was started.

After one was found, Sarah had her kidneys removed in preparation for the transplant but then it was put on hold, like many transplant cases classed as "non-urgent", because of the pandemic.

Ms Emmott said: "We had this fantastic plan in place, everything should have happened within four weeks but now we're just left where she's no kidneys and is relying on dialysis."

The family, from Tadcaster, said they were hopeful the original donor could still eventually be used but they were faced with many uncertainties.

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Father Andy said: "It's not only limbo for us, but for Sarah too.

"She can't do anything, she can't get on with her life... It's prolonging her being able to be a normal little girl."

Fiona Loud, policy director for Kidney Care UK, said although it had had a big impact on affected families, postponing transplants was the "right approach".

"Now the six weeks is over, let's look what at we can do to be able to reopen that door and to be able to help people receive that life transforming transplant."

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