MOTS ~ Multi Organ Transplant Support

Testimonials

Larry Carter

My name is Larry Carter, I'm Dawn's younger brother and as a way of paying tribute to her, I'd like to recognise the work she started with MOTS prior to her untimely death last Easter. In my world of professional motorsport, I deal with danger and death on a regular basis.

Luckily, the worst only happens very occasionally but it still happens and when it does, it never gets any easier. I've lost some very close friends over the years, one being a rider who I managed who was killed aged 21. I'm very lucky to do what I do although it's very hard work at times, but then anything worth achieving is hard work too. Despite Dawn's relentless suffering over the years, she had the Carter spirit in that 'if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well' and her work with PINTT and other such charities demonstrated this.

Her experience, if that's the right word, of undergoing a multiple organ transplant led her to her latest venture in MOTS and from what she told me, it was a real desire of hers to not only get it established, but to ensure it was the success she wanted it to be in order to help people like her and others who had to undergo such a life changing event. Sadly, she never saw that wish come to fruition but with the focus and dedication of Emma and others, the charity is flourishing and goes from strength to strength.

Dawn always was supportive of my racing career on both two and four wheels and as part of my tribute to my big sister is that I carry her legacy on the back of my race car with a link to MOTS. At my recently deceased mum Dorothy's funeral, we had a collection for MOTS and a hopefully sizeable sum will be passed on from the Funeral Directors soon. My partner of 31 years, Sue, and I recently got married and we are having an evening of celebration to which we have invited all our friends. We too, in lieu of presents and cards, have asked people to donate to MOTS and will be having a collection on the night too.

The date of the party? March 28th, exactly one year to the day that Dawn died. We did it as our way of paying tribute to her and involving her. She'd have liked that. She'd like it if MOTS continued to grow too. Please support it like I do.

Molly

My name is Molly and I'm 22. My life was saved by an organ donor 6 years ago. I was born healthy but when I was just 6 months old my small intestine telescoped in on itself which cut off the blood supply. As a result the majority of it died and had to be removed in a series of operations. I was left with just 30cm of small intestine which wasn't enough to absorb the nutrients from food, so I had to be fed a special liquid called TPN directly into my heart through a central line. I couldn't eat anything orally.

Me as a baby connected to my TPN

When I was two and a half, blood clots formed on the end of my plastic central line in my heart so I had to have open heart surgery to remove them.

To read more about Molly's story click here

Rachel

While I was still in my mam's tummy they first found something wrong that my bladder was full, they drained it and it was full again a few days later. Once I was born I didn't feed properly; I was a very sicky baby and everything just went straight through me or came back up again. The hospital didn't know what was wrong so at 9 months old I was taken to theatre and given an ileostomy. I was also put on TPN and was 100% dependent on it.

To read more about Rachel's story click here

Gary Palmer

Could you put in your newsletter, how thankful Linda and I are for the help you gave us with money towards accommodation, all my messages I got whilst I was in hospital and all the help that you, Emma, have given us. Particularly the help you gave Linda, as I was completely out of it so didn't have a care in the world, but you were there for Linda whenever she needed information or a friend. You are a star xxxx

Adele Chapman

The MOTS founder has asked me to write a small paragraph on how their charity has helped and benefited me, so I agreed on this.
Myself and Emma become friends via Facebook when I saw one of my fellow transplantee friends had liked this page called "MOTS'- Multi Organ Transplant Support". As a triple transplant recipient myself there are some questions that go around your head that nobody else understands, unless they themselves have had the experience. This is what led me to contact this group, as I needed some advice and the support. I often share many questions and pictures on this page now for fellow transplant recipients to help me with my current problem. I usually find they can help me as they have been through it at some stage of their own lives. Just knowing someone else has been/going through what you are helps you a lot. I often have my bad days and don't know whether it's my health or my emotions and this group really supports me as there is always someone there for me to talk too.
On August this year, MOTS helped me in a special way no one else could have done. Through all this summer, I had been going through a very tough time with my small intestine (one of the organs that had been transplanted). In June 2013 I got told that I may be facing rejection of the bowel. However, I coped mentally but my body continued to deteriorate and get worse and I found myself being a hospital inpatient on a more regular basis. I was in dreadful pain and losing weight, and I could no longer tolerate my nasal gastric tube feeds (I take these 7 days a week over 29 hours). Due to my health deterioration I was transferred to my hospital : Birmingham Children's Hospital where I got my transplant 16 years ago, however this meant that I had to leave my two year old son with my mum, unaware of how long I would be in England for, after all I had already spent 2 months in my local hospital. After being in Birmingham for three weeks, where I underwent 7 trips to theatre just to under- go biopsies and have lines inserted for me to receive my TPN and pain relief, as I was placed back on Fentyal and Ketamine, I began to get emotionally low and depressed as I was missing my son and I was a long way from home. However I managed to gain enough weight so I could under-go my 6/7 hour operation on my bowel, even though initially we were just going to theatre for a laparotomy unaware that it would lead to the surgeons reconstructing my bowel and draining cysts from my ovaries and womb.
In the mean-time all I wished for was to see my son as I missed him so much. Needless to say Emma had already solved this wish as she herself went through this experience in her past and could tell how much I was missing my son. I was unaware that she had been in contact with my mum over in Northern Ireland and between them they had arranged for my mum and son to fly over a week after my surgery. I was so happy to see my son again and his little smile give me the determination to take myself off my pain relief that day so I could take him shopping as I just wanted to spend time with him. After that day I got my strength back and I became stronger and stronger each day.
I cannot thank Emma and the team at MOTS enough as seeing my little boy and mum give me the determination just to get home to them again, which I did three weeks later. Thank you MOTS for helping me along with this struggle I had over the summer Adele xx

Jan Barnett

MOTS is the first support group in the U.K. that is there for ALL transplant recipients and people who are waiting for a transplant. It doesn't single you out by what organ you have had transplanted or which one you didn't.
At MOTS, we welcome everyone who is either waiting or has had a transplant and we also welcome family and friends of those people and help them to understand and share the experiences of the recipients or awaiting their transplant. We are here to tell you that you are not alone. We are also here to help you find answers to your questions or problems. I'm so proud to be part of the MOTS team!! MOTS is currently working on becoming a registered charity and raising money to help transplant patients and their families whilst in hospitals because multi-organ patients can spend months in hospital post operation and when problems arise. So if you are reading this and you or a company you know is looking for a charity to sponsor or donate to, please keep MOTS in mind. Help MOTS help others!!

Kim Hughes

Emma Abdullah and 'MOTS' have been a amazing source of help to me, its hard having a child listed for MOT and having no one to talk to, it's isolating. So it's lovely to have found others who have been through it themselves and understand x

Shirley Rice

My name is Shirley Rice, I am Kirsteen Jess's best friend, we met at school 32 years ago. I would just like to thank you so much for all the support you gave Kirsteen, she very much enjoyed your visits. I was at Addenbrookes a few days before she died and she talked of how appreciative she was of your visits and support.

Mark Tolland

MOTS is brilliant, they've always been there for me and my family showing support, and Emma was fantastic support to my family at the early stages of my transplant, mots is great because you don't feel alone and there's always someone to talk too who knows your struggles and pain, and the little packs they send are a bonus too, I don't feel alone in this fight, with MOTS at my side.