Critically-ill children who were stuck in hospital in the final stages of severe lung disease are now running, laughing and preparing to go back to school.

Tamara, Will and Alysha are the first three recipients under the Victorian Paediatric Lung Transplant Program at the Alfred, officially established in June 2005.

The program has been developed through strong collaboration using the expertise of staff from the Alfred and the Royal Children's Hospital.

Teamwork has been the key to the initial success of this program with lung specialists, cardiothoracic surgeons, allied health and nursing staff all joining forces and being rewarded with three happy smiling children.

The first recipient under the program was Tamara, 16, who received a double lung transplant.

Tamara, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, spent 244 days in hospital waiting for a transplant.

She has recovered so well that she has returned to school to finish Year 11 and is working towards her goal of becoming a pharmacist.

Will, 9, is believed to be Australia's youngest lung transplant recipient.

Will has been dependent on oxygen since he was two.

Desperately ill with a pulmonary infection, Will had a double lung and heart transplant about four months ago.

His mum Janine said two-thirds of Will's lungs were damaged and he was always on oxygen.

'But he never complained once.

'He would play as much as he could, he's bit of a resilient kid.

'In April he began to deteriorate—we didn't think he would make it to Christmas.'

Luckily, organs became available and Will had the transplant.

After much inactivity, Will is now re-learning how to use his muscles and using orthotics to straighten his feet.

Soon after, Alysha, 14, received a new set of lungs and a heart.

Alysha, who also has cystic fibrosis, has been very ill for several years and has spent so much time in hospital this year she has not been able to attend school.

This bright, bubbly teenager—who spent two years in a wheelchair—is now full of energy and proud of the long scar on her chest, which she reckons is 'pretty cool'.

Alysha is enjoying tallying up a number of firsts—her first sleepover, going back to school for the first time since Grade six, first push bike and first experiences cooking.

The kitchen was previously out-of-bounds because Alysha was attached to an oxygen tank.

Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery and the Alfred's Heart/Lung Transplant Unit Associate Professor Don Esmore said all were huge operations.

'Each of the double lung transplant operations takes five to eight hours and is carried out by a team of four or five surgeons,' Associate Professor Esmore said.

'We are used to operating on older patients with terminal lung disease who are at the twilight of their lives in general.

'There are different requirements for surgery when operating on children•the technical aspects are more demanding and everything is smaller.

'The surgeries are often done in the early hours of the morning and there is a huge investment by the whole surgical team.'

Medical head of the Alfred's lung transplant service Associate Professor Greg Snell said it was common for children needing a lung transplant to receive a heart as well, although their own heart was healthy.

'It is technically easier to transplant both lungs and heart when the patients are this small,' Associate Professor Snell said.

Clinical Director of the Alfred's Department of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine Associate Professor Trevor Williams said the team was 'thrilled' with the early success of the program.

'It is amazing for the families of these patients and the medical staff to see these children, who were all so desperately ill, doing so well now.

'It is extremely rewarding work,' Associate Professor Williams said.

State Government Victoria - Department of Human Services

September, 2006