‘They gave life to a complete stranger’: Lucy McGregor is still alive today thanks to organ donation from ‘that beautiful family’

The Adelaide girl’s mother says there is one “beautiful family” out there to whom they owe everything.

Lucy McGregor is about to turn eight years old and she has dreams of becoming a world-class doctor or scientist when she is older.

These dreams can be realised because Lucy, who was diagnosed with a rare form of heart failure called dilated cardiomyopathy at three-weeks-old, received a heart transplant.

“There are two sides to this story,” Lucy’s mum Kate McGregor, who lives in Unley, said.

“Our donor family, on their darkest of days, they thought of others and chose to give life to a complete stranger.”

Lucy McGregor, who underwent a heart transplant when she was nine-months-old, is about to turn eight. Picture: Supplied by family

Lucy when she was a baby in hospital. Picture: Supplied by family

Lucy was nine-months-old when she received the transplant in November 2017.

“Our cardiologist told us that they had received an offer of a donor heart for Lucy … I completely broke down,” Ms McGregor said.

“The very first words that came out of my mouth were “that beautiful family” … there are no words.”

Lucy McGregor with her mum, Kate. Picture: Supplied by family

When Lucy was three-weeks-old her parents, Ms McGregor and dad Will McGregor, noticed something wasn’t quite “right” with their baby and rushed her into Women’s and Children’s Hospital emergency despite receiving medical advice to “wait until the morning”.

“Lucy crashed so incredibly fast and was immediately placed on life support,” Ms McGregor said.

“We were told to call our family to the hospital and prepare to say goodbye. She was not expected to survive the night.”

Doctors said Lucy wouldn’t survive the night. Picture: Supplied by family

But Lucy did survive but she needed to be transferred to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne — the only hospital in Australia for pediatric heart transplants.

“We were given the option of palliative care, or to relocate our lives indefinitely to Melbourne for transplant assessment,” Ms McGregor said.
“Lucy was a fighter, and we wanted to give her every chance at life, so we packed a small bag of belongings and she was flown over to Melbourne on life support at only nine weeks of age weighing barely three kilograms.”

Lucy in hospital with her mum Kate McGregor. Picture: Supplied by family

Lucy wants to be a scientist or doctor when she grows up. Picture: Supplied by family

In Melbourne Lucy waited seven months before a heart was found for her.

During that time she underwent her first open heart surgery to implant a ventricular assist device (‘VAD’) to keep her alive until the donor heart became available.

“She was only given a 50 per cent chance of surviving the surgery and the (VAD) itself came with a 30 per cent chance of a stroke severe enough to render her ineligible for transplant,” Ms McGregor said.

“It was terrifying.”

Eventually Lucy’s family received the call and she underwent a successful 12-hour surgery.

“There are no words to describe this feeling and it still sends shivers down my spine — the relief, the gratitude and the tears.”

Lucy is heading into year three this year. Picture: Supplied by family

There are around 1800 Australians on the waitlist for an organ transplant and around 14,000 additional people on dialysis who may need a kidney transplant. Picture: Supplied by family

Despite some hurdles, Lucy is thriving since the transplant.

Lucy requires lifelong immune suppression to prevent her body from damaging the heart.

“Lucy has been gifted a childhood and the chance to grow up and live her life to the very fullest,” Ms McGregor said.

“We were told numerous times in her first year of life not to leave her bedside as she was so critically unstable.

“So you can imagine, Lucy’s first day of school was very emotional. Watching her confidently walk into class with her giant backpack and a school jumper that almost went down to her knees was a very proud and emotional moment.

“She has fought so hard to get here. All because of the greatest gift anyone could ever give. This is organ donation. The gift of life.”

There are currently around 1800 Australians on the waitlist for an organ transplant and around 14,000 additional people on dialysis who may need a kidney transplant.

For more information, or to register, visit www.donatelife.gov.au.

Originally published as ‘They gave life to a complete stranger’: Lucy McGregor is still alive today thanks to organ donation from ‘that beautiful family’