The end of a year and beginning of a new one

Hi all

On Tuesday 22 December, Tom and I went back to the hospital to meet with Alannah's surgeon, cardiologist and CLN. The purpose of these meetings after a person has passed is to go through the case with the team. In our case, we wanted to make sure that what we knew was right - and it was.

The surgeon told us that since Alannah he has had two more cases with clotting problems and he has performed another procedure on these children. It's a form of patch that has been successful on both. If he had to do Alannah's operations again, he would have performed this patch instead of successive shunts. This did not upset us. There always has to be one case that changes how future ones are carried out. Unfortunately for us, we had to lose Alannah but we like to think that she has played a part in giving these children a chance of a future. I am sure though that others have lost in order for us to have had what we did with her.

Alannah's corneas were not used as donor tissue and they did not know exactly why. It is thought that perhaps they were too small. This was a pity because Alannah's eyes were open so seldom, it would have been great to know that someone else was given the gift of sight because of her. But that's the way it goes at times.

We have had a lovely Christmas with Mikey and our families. It has been emotional and hard - something that I had not expected for some bizarre reason.

We will be holding a fundraising event in the Phoenix Park on 27 March 2010 to celebrate Alannah's birthday and would love it if you could all support it. We have created another blog page Forever Blowing Bubbles Day for it. Click on the link on the left to read all about it.

We are looking forward to a happier and less eventful 2010 filled with good health, happiness and positivity and would like to wish you all the same. Thank you for your continued support and love.

Love
Eveline, Tom and Mikey xxxx - we'll always add a fourth kiss from Alannah