A YOUNG girl who travelled to the United States for a life-changing operation is preparing for further procedures in the new year.

Poppy Wadsworth, from Upper Poppleton, flew to Columbus, Ohio, for a £100,000 operation to help separate several of her internal organs, after friends and family raised £50,000 towards the fee.

Poppy was born with cloaca, and her case was so unusual, doctors at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital offered to contribute half the cost, to help her live a normal life. The operation at the end of 2014 was a success, but further operations had to be delayed.

Poppy’s mother Alison said the operations would remove the stoma bag, and allow Poppy to use the toilet, and had been expected to take place earlier this year.

She said: “We’ve had to put on hold the surgery this year, as Poppy needed a lot of healing but we’re scheduled for January for a connection of the bowel and for the stoma to be removed. We had an MRI about a month ago and found a lump on her spine. Thankfully it’s benign, but we think it’s affecting her bladder.

“There have been explorations under anaesthetic this year, and we were worried Poppy wasn’t healing. We didn’t want to spend Christmas in hospital. It’s a long process but it’s all a plus, nothing has been done in vain, it just takes time and the biggest part is done now. Everything else is plain sailing, just a matter of when it can be done. We’ve just got to let her body rest for now.”

York Press:

Alison said that since the lengthy operation, Poppy had been very bright and was looking forward to her new life, but was learning to be patient and understood the delays.

She said: “She looks fab, but there’s a lot going on inside. It’s a very complex condition but she’s in fabulous spirits and we’re still grateful for everyone helping out because without them, where would we be?

“She won’t really feel the benefit until next operations take place. I was talking to a bowel surgeon and said it’s going to be really weird that she will be learning to go to the toilet for the first time in her life.

It will be life changing for her that she won’t have the stoma bag, she won’t be worried about how the bag looks or worried about leakage or anything, we’ve just got to be patient. She’s been brilliant, she’s really happy to be where she’s got to.

"You really take it for granted, that we just do like everyone else does, even the Queen does, but it’s a very complex thing and a very delicate, sensitive part of the body.”

Alison said she hoped the next surgeries would take place before the end of January, and in the meantime she was still in contact with doctors in the United States.

She said: “They phoned me and asked if I had some ideas for helping with a lady over there, who has a similar condition and needs help raising money. I gave them some pointers.

“We’re still on their books, we can call them any time and they keep in touch. We’re keeping them updated with Poppy’s progress and keep in touch through the LGI as well. I’ll definitely be sending them a Christmas card this year. They ask when we’re next going to be over, and I said when we win the lottery.”