Codie

Codie was an incredible little girl I met while I was in hospital following my transplant. Today should be Codie's 4th birthday, but she died in June 2007. This post is in her memory.

Codie was born healthy and was well until about the age of one, when she developed liver failure. She received a liver transplant, but her body rejected it, so she had a second liver transplant. But her second transplant failed too, so she was relisted and shortly received her third liver transplant. Unfortunately a little while after her third liver transplant her body had been through enough and she died on 6th May 2007, aged just 26 months.

Codie was always cheerful and smiling despite living in hospital for most of her life. I first met Codie in hospital B shortly after my transplant. She'd received her second or third liver transplant within just a few days of mine. So while I was recovering and trying to get back on my feet I'd always aim to walk down to the bay at the end of the ward to see Codie. Spending time with Codie always cheered me up as she was constantly happy. She was such an inspiration too as she went through such a lot, but always had a smile on her face.

Codie was Scottish and instead of saying 'yes' she would say 'aye'. It was very cute. While I was in hospital Codie was learning to talk and usually said very little. However, I remember popping on to the ward one day after an outpatient clinic to see Codie. She had learnt my name and called out 'Molly' when she saw me :)

I will always remember Codie's love of stickers. While I was in the hospital whenever we went out we'd look out for sheets of stickers for Codie. And when I returned home we'd send her stickers in the post. She just loved stickers and stuck them all over her cot. I remember when Codie had been lent a very special electric cot from another department in the hospital. It had to be kept clean and in perfect condition as it was just on loan, but Codie immediately set about covering it in stickers. Her mum had to try to remove them all without leaving any marks on the cot! It was a long job.

Me and my mum also became very close to Codie's mum and I still keep in touch with her now.

I didn't get to Scotland for Codie's funeral, which will always be a regret of mine. I should have tried harder to get there. However I hope that at somepoint in the future I'll be able to travel to Scotland and visit Codie's grave.

Codie will always be an inspiration to me - her constant smile and cheerfulness throughout her illness was incredible. Always remembered and never forgotten xxxxxxxxxx