New Zealand Girl Gets Transplant At Childrens Hospital
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Miracle League Field in Cranberry Township provides a level playing field for kids with special needs.
One of the stars is a little girl from New Zealand. For Matisse Reid, the biggest miracle was yet to come.
As Reid slept after a difficult night, her parents, Jodie and Wayne, looked on. The Reid family moved to Gibsonia four years ago, hoping for a transplant operation which would cure their daughter's rare intestinal disorder.
Their daughter has been fed only through feeding tubes her entire life. On Dec. 7, the phone rang.
"We got a call to say that Matisee had organs. She's been waiting for a transplant for over four years. So, her life's going to change dramatically," Jodie Reid said.
Dr. Kyle Soltys flew to Texas to remove the donor's small intestine, then back to Pittsburgh where he assisted in the transplant.
"She got a small bowel transplant, with a colon, all as one graft. And we hooked up her small bowel to her stomach to help her drain," Dr. Soltys said.
For Matisse, this is the best gift she's ever received and it couldn't come at a more appropriate time. She will celebrate her 10th birthday on Christmas.
"We know that she's in the best hands that she can be. So, this is where she needs to be," Jodie Reid said.
The family is comfortable living in the Pittsburgh area and have learned to love the Steelers. Take that Cleveland Browns fans.
