Jon Price, Matt Bagnall, Graeme Clark and David Bridgens attempt to canoe from Coast to Coast (170 miles) in 10 days (8th - 18th August) in memory of Mollie Barton and to raise funds for the Childrens’ Liver Disease Foundation.

Mollie Barton passed away in the ICU of Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Wednesday 29th of April 2015 at the tender age of 20 whilst on the waiting list for a liver transplant.

Mollie was born with the ‘unique’ and rare genetic disorder, Alagille Syndrome. Alagille Syndrome is a genetic disorder which mainly affects the liver, heart and kidneys. Since birth, Mollie dealt with numerous medications and had several surgeries including open heart surgery at the age of 2. At age 8, Mollie was prepped for a liver transplant from her Dad as a living donor. However, Mollie’s condition improved and stabilised and she was able to live a relatively normal life supported by medication throughout her teens.

Over Christmas 2014 the family began to notice that Mollie’s eyes and skin had started to turn yellow, a tell-tale sign of her liver disease worsening. At the beginning of January, it was confirmed that a small lump which had been present in Mollies liver for a while had grown at an unprecedented rate and had practically outgrown her liver. In February 2015 it was confirmed that Mollie had liver failure and at the end of March she was placed on the transplant list. At the beginning of April 2015 Mollie was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and temporarily removed from the active transplant list due to complications such as developing Pheumonia and Sepsis.

The hope was always for Mollie to regain some strength and to find her way back onto the transplant list. Sadly, following a  heartbreakingly quick decline in her health Mollie wished to fight no more. She left this earth with grace and peace and when the time was right for her - She didn’t lose any battles; she won a million tiny ones.

The sadness of losing someone so young combined with the inspiration of how Mollie fought so valiantly has awoken many into wanting to make a difference. People want to help and sometimes it’s just not obvious how. If giving money is not enough for you, then please consider joining the organ donor register, or perhaps donate some blood – Mollie received over 20 blood transfusions during her heroic final battle. The charity closest aligned to Mollie’s story is the Childrens’ Liver Disease Foundation who drive research into childhood liver disease and provide family support to those affected.

To read a more detailed honest and inspiring blog written by Mollie’s sister Lauren visit

http://bartonsblog35.wordpress.com
http://www.pikore.com/bpositive_mollie