'Thriving' three year old facing second life-changing transplant

Etta Cartmill has spent much of her young life in hospital, fighting to survive.

The toddler and her older brother Olly were both born with an extremely rare genetic condition, which caused them to suffer kidney failure.

Olly had kidney surgery in 2023 and Etta has already received a life-changing liver transplant.

Etta is now thriving, according to her mother, but is now preparing to receive a new kidney.

Etta and Olly's condition - known only as TTC21B - is so rare it doesn't even have a common name.

Olly was just 13kg (29lbs) when he underwent a kidney transplant in September 2023, receiving a live donation from his grandmother Michelle.

Parents Dionne and Neil knew that Etta has the same condition, which causes kidney failure, and would require a transplant when older.

The couple have taken Etta from Bessbrook, County Armagh, to Belfast up to five times a week for dialysis, along with trips to Birmingham for specialist care.

Dionne recently learned she is a match for a kidney and is hopeful surgery can be arranged soon.

News of the liver transplant came as a shock.

Dionne Cartmill told Stephen Watson on The Nolan Show, that while the kidney condition was known, the family only found out Etta needed a liver transplant a year ago.

After an 11-hour surgery last September, Etta needed to be ventilated and her abdomen covered with a mesh as it couldn't be fully closed due to swelling, but she now has a healthy liver.

"From when Etta got the liver transplant, she's absolutely thriving. Her wee personality and everything's coming through," she said.

"Beforehand, the child was miserable. She'd awful pains in her stomach, she'd cried constantly. There was nothing you could do to settle her.

"When I'd put her down to dialysis, I'd have to get into the cot with her and hold her and then she'd be pulling me in and pushing me away, she was that agitated that she didn't even know what she wanted."

She added that she has recently learned she will donate a kidney to her daughter.

"It's going to be me so I'm absolutely delighted. Waiting on the date," she said.

"I'm a match and I'm fit and healthy so I'm absolutely delighted. I can't wait to do it.

"Michelle did the first one and we were very, very fortunate that some poor man passed away and we got his liver and now it's going to be my turn and I can't wait to do it."

Dionne added that since his own kidney transplant, Olly has "turned into the wee boy that he always should have been".

"He's full of energy, full of craic, full of ideas. He's doing fantastic," she said.