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The gift that keeps on giving
C
ordelia Whatman is starting Year 3
soon, loves swimming, painting and is
fascinated by Tasmanian Tigers. Bright
and bubbly three-year-old Alexandra Matthews
can’t get enough of Frozen and Peppa Pig. The
two Canberra girls have one very special thing in
common – they have both survived liver disease.
Cordelia and Alexandra were born with Biliary
Atresia, a life-threatening condition in infants in
which the bile ducts inside or outside the liver
do not have normal openings. Cordelia’s mother,
Rachel Vance, says before Cordelia was diagnosed
with liver disease she hadn’t been aware that
children so young could be affected.
“Shortly after Cordelia was born, she was
diagnosed with Biliary Atresia. She had jaundice,
which is yellow skin, and when she cried her tears
were even yellow. We tested everything. She was
listed for a liver transplant in November 2007 and
when we finally had a compatible liver, I remember
the surgery took so long, almost 12 hours… when
she was recovering the first thing I noticed was that
her skin wasn’t yellow,” Ms Vance says.
Claire Matthews says after her daughter
Alexandra underwent care and a successful
liver transplant surgery at Sydney’s Westmead
Children’s Hospital, she wanted to help others
going through the difficult journey.
“A social worker put Rachel and I in touch,
we founded Liver Kids Australia and we aim to
contribute to the work of the Liver Transplant Unit
in Westmead with whatever funds we can raise plus
provide support to families,” she says. “There aren’t
that many charities out there that promote awareness
of how crucial organ donation is, but the Gift of
Life’s DonateLife Walk is coming up. That walk is
wonderful and shows the community a positive
outlook towards organ and tissue donation.”
Now in its ninth year, the Gift of Life’s DonateLife
Walk 2015 encourages people to discuss organ
and tissue donation with relatives and friends, and
formally register their donation decision on the
Australian Organ Donor Register. The free event will
be held on Wednesday 25 February; participants
gather at 6.45am for a 7am start at Regatta Point. To
register, visit Gift of Life’s website giftoflife.asn.au;
for more information about Liver Kids Australia, visit
liverkids.org.au - Madeline Power
Rachel Vance and Claire Matthews with sisters Cordelia
and Octavia Whatman, and Alexandra Matthews. Rachel
and Claire founded Liver Kids Australia in 2013 in
response to the lack of general awareness, support and
funding around childhood liver disease in Australia.
PhotoGarySchafer
Join us and support your
local community garden,
Fetherston Gardens!
There will be something
for everyone with
tours of the garden,
a jumping castle,
petting zoo, face
painting and
a sausage
sizzle too!
Proudly supported by Defence Housing Australia in association with Fetherston Gardens Friends.
Entry by gold coin donation with all
proceeds going to Fetherston Garden Friends.
Special guest
appearance by
players from
the Canberra
Raiders.
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