Heart transplant toddler Zoe dies

Zoe was born with a heart valve which was too narrow

A toddler who had a heart transplant after suffering six cardiac arrests has died suddenly.

Zoe Chambers had a party last month to celebrate a full year of good health after receiving a new heart.

The two-year-old from Hull, East Yorkshire, was due to be the youngest competitor at the British Transplant Games in Sheffield in August.

Transplant Sport UK confirmed that Zoe had died and said the organisation's thoughts were with her family.

Last year Zoe's parents Julie and Rob were told she had weeks to live and she was put at the top of the European heart transplant list.

The toddler was kept alive by an artificial heart and was desperately ill until a donor was found and she underwent a 10-hour operation at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital last June.

'Greatly saddened'

Last month Mrs Chambers, 34, said: "She's a fighter. It's a miracle that we still have her.

"When someone tells you your beautiful little baby girl could die, things don't get any worse than that.

"We will be eternally grateful to the doctors and the NHS for all they have done for Zoe.

"She has fought tooth and nail to be with us today and there is no reason why she can't go on to live a normal, happy life."

Carol Olley, from Transplant Sport UK, said: "We are greatly saddened at the loss of Zoe Chambers, one of our youngest members.

"Although transplantation saves many thousands of lives each year, sadly some recipients are not as lucky.

"Transplantation offers a renewed quality of life to people with life-threatening conditions and for children, the chance to start living their life after illness.

"However, longevity can not be guaranteed.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Chambers family at this sad time."