The dreams of a courageous teenager, who has been seriously ill in hospital since February, were made to come true by the amazing medical staff looking after her last month. These real life angels ensured that Ellie, a sixteen year old girl from Dorchester who had had a kidney transplant in 2022 but has been in hospital for more than four months after the organ began to fail, would still go the ball...
Too unwell to take her GCSEs, Ellie managed to make it to her prom with the support of Southampton Children's Hospital staff.
Ellie said her illness has been a "struggle"
Ellie was first diagnosed with glomerulonephritis, a type of kidney failure, in May 2021 and received a transplant the following year. She became unwell again at the start of 2024 and doctors found her transplanted kidney was also starting to fail.
Her mother Jody said: "I don't know if we can ever express just how much we appreciate the effort everybody made to ensure this went ahead. It's hard to see her missing her friends, her cat, sea cadets and seeing her spending her 16th birthday stuck in the hospital."
The children's hospital said the consultants, nursing staff and pharmacist all worked hard to ensure Ellie was well enough to attend, with a staff member even volunteering their time to attend the prom if needed. "Ellie was made to feel like a princess throughout it all and enjoyed having the best time at prom," Jody added. "We were overjoyed to see her looking so happy and confident. She was truly in her element with her friends celebrating."
Ellie (on the right) said: "It was great getting all dressed up"
Staff at the hospital liaised with a dress shop as well as local hair and nail salons to make Ellie's dream of attending her prom and seeing her friends come true. "I even got to choose a dress that was all glittery and had people do my hair, nails and make-up," she said.
As if that wasn't enough, the medical team at Southampton County Hospital even arranged for a local vintage tractor club to provide Ellie's dream mode of transport!
Hambledons: Here to help
We hope you enjoy the local news stories we share. Get in touch if you'd like to try out any of our quality services which you can view here.
Comments