Wiltshire | Archive | 2003 | June | 25
From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Wednesday 25th Jun 2003.
Katy Dean has always longed to swim with dolphins - so her family and friends are raising funds to make her dream come true.
Katy, 10, from Park North, has chronic liver disease and is on the waiting list for a transplant. But former footballer George Best has sent her a message of goodwill.
Despite taking nine doses of medicine every day to remove toxins from her liver, she remains in high spirits and is looking forward to the summer holidays.
She is also recovering from the sudden death of her father Kevin, 43, in March.
Customers at the Liden Arms pub in Barrington Close hope to give her a holiday in America, where she would visit Florida and swim with dolphins.
Katy said: "I would love to swim with dolphins because they are really sweet. It would be great to tell my friends about it at school."
But the trip cannot go ahead unless £5,000 is raised to cover her medical insurance, should she fall ill on the trip.
Nick Sharpe, 43, landlord of the Liden Arms, said: "The holiday itself will cost around £3,200, which we are confident of raising. The other £5,000 is not needed in cash.
"We just need to have the money guaranteed, should she need hospital treatment in America."
He hopes businesses or individ-uals will come forward and under-write the travel insurance policy.
To survive into adulthood Katy needs a new liver and doctors are monitoring her condition to gauge the urgency of this operation.
She has just seen a specialist at King's College Hospital and now awaits the results of blood tests.
Her mother, Tina, 37, said: "Katy is amazing.
"Doctors are pleased with her health and we just pray there will be a suitable liver for her when she needs one.
"Right now she needs a holiday and it's our job to make this possible."
Yellowing skin and a high temperature will indicate that Katy's condition is deteriorating. But at the moment she is stable.
Her illness stems from an operation she had, at just two weeks old, to remove a cyst under-neath her liver.
A year later an operation to inflate a narrowed valve in her heart revealed her liver was abnormally enlarged.
This marked the start of several operations to unblock her con-gested liver.
"The past three months have been particularly difficult, so a special holiday is just what the doctor ordered," Mrs Dean added.
Joe Di Ruzza, 48, from Liden, is helping organise the fundraising, which includes a fun day at the Liden Arms on July 19.
So far £1,300 has been collected from auctions, raffles and bingo nights toward the £3,200 target.
The fun day will feature live music by local bands, a barbecue, a golf competition and a tombola.
Mr DiRuzza said: "It's going to be a fantastic occasion and we are all raring to realise Katy's Ameri-can dream."
Anyone who wants to support the appeal should call 01793 522800 or 618998.
© Newsquest Media Group 2008