Heart girl out of intensive care

Abbey Cape is in a "stable" condition

A nine-year-old girl who underwent a life-saving heart transplant is preparing to come out of intensive care.

Abbey Cape from Leicestershire was given just days to live after getting an infection of her heart muscles.

Now doctors at Great Ormond Street in London who performed the transplant say she is no longer critically ill and described her condition as "stable".

Abbey had been on a life-support machine and went to the top of waiting lists across Europe before a donor was found last month.

Nationwide appeal

The girl, from Ashby de la Zouch, is said to have taken her first steps and is in good spirits.

Since the operation Abbey has been on a ventilator.

But on Tuesday doctors said they were preparing to take her off the machine and plan to move her to a low-dependency ward shortly.

The hospital has stressed it is still early days in Abbey's recovery.

Her mother Marianne Cape and stepfather Darren Jackson made a nationwide appeal to find Abbey a donor.

They remain at her bedside.