Brave 11-month-old 'miracle' Oldham baby in intensive care waiting for transplant

Ella Jane McAll, whose family live in Sholver, was born at Saint Mary's Hospital in Manchester in February last year and needed open heart surgery.

She was moved to the newborn intensive care unit and faced a number of life-threatening infections.

The 11-month-old has been diagnosed with Charge Syndrome, a disorder which affects many areas of the body, as well as Severe combined immunodeficiency and Complete DiGeorge Syndrome, characterised by an absence or underdevelopment of the thymus gland.

Last month, Ella had open heart surgery at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool but then had a cardiac arrest due to sepsis and infections.

She remains at Alder Hey, with her mum Siobahn, 35, – who is staying at the hospital's Ronald McDonald House facility, which accommodates families of patients – constantly by her side.

When she is well enough, Ella will be having a rare thymus gland transplant at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London when she is well enough and a donor can be found.

Siobahn said: "Ella is a happy, little baby and always has a smile on her face.

“She is like a little miracle. Up until a couple of weeks ago, after she had her cardiac arrest, we were convinced she was not going to survive.

“She is a fighter though. She definitely wants to be in this world.

"With Ella it is like she has no immune system. She is 11 months old and had never been home."

Siobahn and her partner Danny, 39, also have three sons Aaron, 14, Joe, seven, and Tom, six, and it is a struggle for the family to be together regularly with them split across Sholver and Liverpool.

Ella Jane with her brothers Joe, seven, Aaron, 14, and Tom, six

Due to the to the travel costs being racked up by the family a crowdfunding page has been set up to help them.

Click here to visit the page.

A website, www.babyella.uk, has been set up too, with people and businesses asked to donate items for a fundraising event.