Whittlesea babe’s late diagnosis for liver condition results in life-threatening damage

ALL little Montana McNamara wants for Christmas is a new liver. The 20-month-old from Melbourne’s outer north is living with the life threatening condition biliary atresia.

Montana doesn’t let her condition stop her from helping her mum Monique Bibby do the grocery shopping. Picture: Richard Serong

MONTANA McNamara has one wish for Christmas — to receive a new liver.

The 20-month-old from Whittlesea township is living with the life threatening condition biliary atresia.

Montana was diagnosed with the disease at six weeks after prolonged jaundice and a constant rash.

Biliary atresia, which affects around six babies in Australia every year, means Montana’s bile duct was blocked at birth preventing the bile to drain from her liver, causing damage.

At eight weeks old, Montana underwent a procedure at the Royal Children’s Hospital which involved an operation to hook up a piece of her small intestine to her liver to act as a bile duct.

The operation, which has a 40 per cent success rate, failed.

Montana is now on the liver transplant waiting list at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Her failing liver has caused other health issues including high cholesterol, which will eventually affect her heart and is forming lumps all over her little body.

She also has a has an intussusception, a small fold in her intestine.

Montana’s mum, Monique Bibby, said her daughter will have lifelong medical issues, check-ups, treatment and medications.

“Being a first time mum and on my own it has been very hard,” Ms McNamara said. “I have not been able to return to work and am now on a carer’s pension finding it hard to keep up with Montana’s requirements.”

Montana is a happy little girl and doesn’t let her illness get in the way of her favourite activity, the weekly grocery shop.

“One of her highlights is taking her toy shopping trolley into the Whittlesea IGA supermarket and pushing it around collecting what she can at her height, luckily it’s not a lot as she is so tiny,” Ms McNamara said.

“People stop and talk to her as she draws a lot of attention due to her tiny stature, yellow appearance and bumps all over her body.

“The people we meet usually ask what is wrong with her which I am only too happy to explain. “The more people learn about Montana’s condition the less people will have to go through what I did and they may save a life being able to detect biliary atresia from an early age before the liver is damaged.”

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with Montana’s future medical care.

Donate at: gofundme.com/k69vqc

To become an organ donor, go to donatelife.gov.au