April 2022, our lives changed forever! Dylan was a fully well child but woke one morning with yellow coloured skin shortly followed by yellow eye whites. We decided to take him to A&E and we were admitted after his liver numbers showed to be very highly elevated. We stayed at our local hospital where Birmingham Children's Hospital liased with our local to try and treat Dylan and help his liver to recover. He had numerous blood tests all very traumatic, but his numbers continued to get worse and it was decided on our 4th day there that he be transferred by ambulance to Birmingham Children's Hospital. Leaving behind our then 10 month old daughter with my mother in law.

When there, Dylan was given other different medicines to try to support his liver but these were not working. The decision was made to put Dylan on the super urgent liver transplant list as he edged dangerously closer to this being his only chance to live. Just over 24 hours after this, things took a turn for the worse. His blood pressure was dropping fast and he needed medicine to keep him alive. He was transferred to the intensive care unit and sedated, he would stay here until a suitable liver was available. Within hours a liver was on its way to the hospital, after being checked and given the ok Dylan was taken down to surgery at 10pm for his liver transplant. Seeing him the morning after was amazing, his colour looked instantly back to normal. He spent 48 hours in intensive care before being transferred back to ward 8, from here we were told the long recovery journey starts and they were right! Unfortunately for Dylan he did not only have a major transplant operation, but he suffered major complications also which led to a 5 week stay in the hospital and more operations. 

On his journey he used a wide range of the hospitals services, to which we feel we can never repay for allowing us to have Dylan with us today. From ward 8 to anaesthetics, theatre, intensive care unit, the liver team, surgeons, nurses, health care assistants, radiographers, nurtriontionists, play therapists, phlebotomists, radiologists, admin and anymore behind the scenes. Dylan dipped into needing all their help, to which he received with exceptional care! 

After coming home from hospital Dylan sure has had bumps in his road to recovery. He suffered incredible abdominal pain for weeks due to his perforated bowel, his liver numbers were raised meaning very regular blood tests, he came home with a chest drain due to fluid on his lung which proved difficult to maneuver! And 2 weekly trips to Birmingham hospital amongst all of this. Still to this day he has his days and being on immunosuppression does make life now more complicated with the germs! But after all of this we couldn't be more grateful to have this second chance with him, to have all of our family together. 

So, I will run this marathon for him and for this hospital and charity to continue their amazing work. If Dylan who was only 3 years old at the time can receive a liver transplant and experience all the complications he did, then I can run 26 miles at the very least! I am not a stranger to running but I am not a regular either so this is out of my comfort zone... but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! 

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and beyond to any help you can give.