In a remarkable journey that showcases resilience and the power of medical innovation, Isabelle Rigby, a 19-year-old from Western Australia, became the first child in the state to undergo a heart and double lung transplant. This life-saving surgery followed years of medical challenges stemming from her premature birth at just 24 weeks and five days.
Isabelle’s story began on a fragile note; she weighed only 695 grams at birth and faced immediate health complications, including severely underdeveloped lungs. Her mother, Tracey Newman, recalls the daunting days spent in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital, where she and her husband, Simon Rigby, remained vigilant for 175 days.
“Not a single day passed without that haunting question: What if Isabelle doesn’t make it?” Tracey said, reflecting on those early struggles. Despite the fears, Isabelle showed extraordinary strength, surviving a tracheostomy at just 1.2 kilograms and undergoing complex airway reconstruction.
After the surgery, communication became a challenge for Isabelle, who could not speak due to her condition. “We learnt some basic sign language to communicate until her airway was reconstructed,” Tracey explained. The day Isabelle managed to say “mum” was so monumental that Tracey kept a bottle of Mumm champagne in the fridge for two years to celebrate that moment.
However, life dealt another blow when Isabelle developed pulmonary hypertension, a serious condition that increased pressure on her heart due to her long-term dependence on oxygen. “At 14 years old, her medications just stopped working,” Tracey recalled. This marked the beginning of a critical phase for Isabelle, who was admitted to intensive care, ultimately needing to be placed on a donor list for a transplant.
The urgency of the situation escalated quickly. “We were told that she needed to be put on the donor list urgently,” Tracey stated. “The only way to save her life now was with a heart and double lung transplant.”
Fortunately, a donor was identified just three days after she was placed on the list. “It was like the angels were looking over us,” Tracey said. The family celebrated this miraculous turn of events while also remembering the loss experienced by the donor’s family. “For me, it was joy, but on the other hand there was a family grieving,” she noted.
The surgery lasted an agonizing ten hours, marking Isabelle as the youngest person in Western Australia to receive a heart and double lung transplant. Due to her critical condition, she was unable to travel to facilities available in other states, making her recovery at Fiona Stanley Hospital even more significant.
Isabelle’s recovery has been closely monitored by the Lung Transplant Clinic, a beneficiary of Telethon, which provides essential funding for medical programs in Western Australia. She returns for check-ups every six weeks and has found additional support through Telethon-funded initiatives, such as Transplant WA’s annual kids camps.
In 2023, Isabelle represented Australia at the World Transplant Games, earning a bronze medal in the 100-metre sprint. “I can pretty much do everything I wasn’t able to do before,” she said, expressing her newfound freedom. With aspirations to travel the world, Isabelle dreams of visiting places like Italy, Egypt, and the Nordic countries.
As preparations for Telethon 2025 begin, Tracey reflects on the profound impact of community support. “What West Australians give to help sick kids is incredible. Without Telethon, we wouldn’t have the equipment, programs, and research to help all the sick kids in WA,” she remarked.
Isabelle’s journey from a fragile birth to becoming a thriving young adult exemplifies the importance of organ donation and the community efforts that make such medical advancements possible. For Tracey, every morning is a reminder of gratitude as she listens for the sound of her daughter’s footsteps. “A donor is never forgotten,” she said. “They gave her back to me, to her family, and gave her a life and a future.”
