Miracle baby's double transplant

An Auckland father says he "couldn't ask for a better present" than his baby daughter being discharged from intensive care this month after a double transplant.

Dave Cave, of Bayswater, donated part of his liver to his daughter Madison on August 9.

He bravely signed up for the operation when he learned the seven-month-old would only survive another year if she did not get the liver transplant, due to a rare disease that blocked her bile ducts.

The condition, known as biliary atresia, affects one in 15,000 babies.

While initially it seemed the transplant went well Madison's kidneys failed in a matter of days and the baby was close to death.

A donated liver was urgently flown in from Australia and she underwent a second surgery on August 18.

Doctors say the nine day gap between transplants is the smallest they've ever had when treating one person.

As the drama unfolded Madison's dad Dave was still recovering in Auckland City Hospital from his surgery.

''I told the doctors I couldn't stay in hospital, I had to be with my family. Not being able to be by my daughter's side was just so painful,'' Dave says.

Madison suffered further complications after her second transplant.

She took on fluid which caused her lung to collapse and she struggled with a viral infection.

But this month Madison's condition improved and on Father's Day, September 4, she was discharged from the  intensive care unit at Starship Children's Hospital.

"As a father I couldn't ask for a better present than that," Dave says.

Madison is now at home and recovering well according to mum Kelly Barnes.

''The biggest thing for me was when she opened her eyes, they were white and not yellow. I  just cried and cried,'' Kelly says.

Madison no longer feeds through a tube and her parents can now feed her baby formula like a normal healthy child.

''It's just all those normal things people take for granted,'' Kelly says.

''I can't even put into words what we have been through, but it is a journey I never want to do ever again.''

Madison, who will likely need another transplant when she is 15 to 20 years old, will be on 14 different medications for the next three months and attends hospital appointments twice a week.

Leading up to the surgery, Kelly left her job to look after Madison and a trust fund was set up to assist the family now down to a single income.

She had relocated to Auckland from Liverpool with Dave and their oldest daughter, two-year-old Emily.

Well-wishers have donated $4000 to the couple and they have also received donations from the North Shore National Bank and the Albany branch of The Warehouse.

The family would like to give a special thanks to those who helped them as well as the staff at Starship Children's Hospital and the Devonport naval base, who gave David three months' leave with full pay.

By Sarah Coddington - North Shore Times