A 14-year-old girl has tragically passed away after experiencing a stomach ache, prompting a health warning. Maisie Almond, 14, hailing from Manchester, was admitted to the hospital due to persistent abdominal pain and yellowing of the eyes in September 2024. Doctors discovered she was suffering from acute liver failure and urgently needed a transplant to survive, leading to her placement at the top of the donor list.
Despite finding a matching donor on October 1, Maisie’s condition deteriorated rapidly, preventing her from undergoing the necessary transplant surgery. An inquest into her death resulted in a report highlighting delays in finding suitable donors, posing a significant risk to patients in urgent need of transplants.
Maisie’s parents were informed by medical experts that an earlier liver transplant could have altered the outcome, despite initially mistaking her symptoms for a common illness. The coroner’s report, addressing the lack of a definitive cause for Maisie’s liver failure, emphasized the critical need for swift action to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The report detailed Maisie’s unfortunate passing from acute liver failure before a suitable donor liver could be secured for priority transplantation. By the time a donor was identified, her health had deteriorated significantly, rendering the transplant unfeasible. The report concluded with a stark warning of potential future fatalities if immediate measures are not implemented.
