Praise for NHS transplant staff in lockdown op

A Leasingham woman who was given just weeks to live earlier this year is thanking the NHS staff who acted swiftly to give her an emergency liver transplant while in the clutches of Covid-19 lockdown.
So grateful for the swift action of the NHS - Maxine Barnett, of Leasingham.So grateful for the swift action of the NHS - Maxine Barnett, of Leasingham.
So grateful for the swift action of the NHS - Maxine Barnett, of Leasingham.

“I just want to say a big thank you to all the NHS staff,” says Maxine Barrett 62, a former cleaning supervisor at RAF Cranwell, who was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis in October, despite not being a drinker or smoker.

She said her own immune system had caused the problems: “I had an amazing doctor at Sleaford Medical Group, Dr Edna, she is lovely and has been there for me through all of this.

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“I got referred to Grantham Hospital to see a consultant - he was marvellous. I had various tests done, then got sent to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.”

Throughout all of this none of her family were allowed in the buildings to support her, husband John recalls waiting seven hours in the car park for her when she had a biopsy.

The transplant team there referred Maxine to Addenbrookes Hospital at Cambridge. There she was given two years to live without a transplant, but in January/February Maxine’s condition deteriorated badly, building up fluid in her body and her GP rushed things through.

“I was so bloated with fluid - friends said I looked like the Michelin man. But I couldn’t eat,” she said.

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Maxine was put on the transplant list and, within a week she had a call in the early hours of the morning on March 20 that surgeons had a liver for her.

“I was in theatre for 11 hours,” she said. “Afterwards the doctors said they realised during the operation I had reached the stage I probably only had weeks left to live.”

Maxine recovered so quickly she was allowed out of intensive care after a day and released home after two weeks.

Full of praise for the NHS, she said they pulled out all the stops, moving so quickly despite the complications of Covid-19.

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“I feel 100 per cent better, but it is early days,” said the music lover. “I can’t wait to go back out meeting with family and get back to dancing with the bands.

“I could not have got through this without my amazing husband John, family and friends.”

She insisted people should seek help from their doctor if they have any concerns. “When I was visiting hospital for tests, there were hundreds of people cancelling appointments, because they were frightened of catching Covid.

“I cannot thank the NHS enough for all their help.”