Skye has received the ultimate gift – a liver transplant operation that saved her life.

“We feel so blessed, fortunate and grateful,” Skye’s mother Stephanie said. “She has been so resilient and tackled everything with happiness and a smile.”

Skye, 11 months old, was born with biliary atresia, a rare liver condition that affects the bile ducts. She underwent an operation aimed to restore bile flow but the surgery did not work.

“Skye had progressive scarring of her liver. It was clear she was going to need a liver transplant within the first year of life,” clinician Dr Liz Bannister, a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital, said.

Her parents, Martin and Stephanie, said their daughter took medication and did ultrasounds and blood tests at the RCH, while on a waitlist for a liver transplant.

“We didn’t sleep for the first month,” Martin said. “You’re looking at your phone all the time. You get a call and think it’s the liver. It was definitely tiring. By the second month, we put our shoulders down and the third month, we got the call.”

They knew, however, that phone conversation and the gift that came with it, meant tragedy for another family.

“It’s heartbreaking to know she needed a liver … and was given a gift,” Stephanie said.

“But it’s hard because somebody else lost their life to give Skye that gift. We’re eternally grateful, but we feel a lot of sadness for the other family.”

Martin agreed. “It was one of the hardest things,” he said. “When we found out we were getting a full liver, we knew it was devastating for another family. We were blessed.”

Dr Bannister added: “We’re grateful to the donor and family for giving Skye an opportunity to thrive”.

Stephanie said Skye met every challenge like a champion.

“She never complained. I think we’ve got a lot to learn from her. It also taught us the importance of organ donation, because no-one thinks about it until they’re put in that situation.”

Dr Bannister said Skye is progressing well.

Meanwhile, Skye, who has twin siblings, aged three-and-a-half, is giving back to hospital that saved her.

Skye’s online fundraiser page has raked in more than $14,000.

“She’s touched a lot of little lives in a short amount of time,” Stephanie said.

”It’s nice to be able to give back a tiny bit to the RCH.”