Difficulties and issues

Children who are waiting for a transplant will eventually die if they do not receive a donor organ in time. The exception is for children with kidney failure who have dialysis to keep them alive, but their physical development is severely affected, and this can lead to life long disabilities if they have to wait too long.

After receiving a transplant the children can benefit substantially from being actively involved with their transplant peers. The difficulties and issues faced by the children and their families include:

- Lack of opportunity for social interaction with transplant peers;

- Financial Hardship as a result of having an ill child in the family;

- A change in family dynamics leads to a greater incidence of marriage breakdown;

- Reliance on dialysis can limit the mobility of a family and the ability to take holidays or have a break from the domestic situation;

- The children can suffer a setback in their studies;

- Siblings can suffer from a lack of attention;

- The children face many issues including the effects of antirejection medication, unusual physical attributes as a result of their illness, dietary restrictions and limitations on physical activity.

This is by no means an exhaustive list.

Meet Chloe

CHLOÉ has been on the
waiting list since she was
five months old and has
been waiting for a donor liver for more than half her life.

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