Cystic fibrosis sufferer increases lung capacity by singing

By Emma Innes, Mail Online

Bianca Nicholas, 22, suffers from cystic fibrosis, which can make it hard to breathe

A cystic fibrosis sufferer has been saved from a double lung transplant by her love of singing.

Bianca Nicholas, 22, suffers from the life-threatening lung condition which means that she needs daily physiotherapy to prevent mucus build up.

She was facing the prospect of a life-saving lung transplant but incredibly, her love of belting out hits from her favourite musical, Les Miserables, has increased her lung capacity by almost 20 per cent.

As a child, Ms Nicholas’ parents were warned she may only live to nine years old - but the charity worker refused to let her condition get in the way as she dreamed a dream of musical stardom.

Now the aspiring pop star, from Beckenham, Kent, has sung for Prince William and already has a single in the top five of the iTunes chart.

She said: ‘When people discover that I have cystic fibrosis, they can't believe that I'm able to belt out the tunes from Les Mis.

‘Most sufferers tend to have quite a bad cough and get very breathless, so for some it's surprising that I can sing at all.

‘Singing actually exercises my lungs, and because I'm singing all the time, my lungs get twice as much exercise, so it really improves my health.’

She added: ‘I went for a check-up recently and the doctors told me that my lung function was up to 88 per cent - I couldn't believe it.

I'm lucky that something I love not only makes me happy, but actually improves my health too.’

Cystic fibrosis is caused by a faulty gene that controls the movement of salt and water in and out of the cells within the body, it affects 9,000 people in the UK and is thought to cause two deaths every week.

It affects the internal organs, especially the lungs, by clogging them with thick sticky mucus, making it hard to breathe.

Experts agree that singing can help those with the condition.

Ed Owens, CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, explained: ‘Many people with cystic fibrosis find unique ways to help keep their lungs clear and themselves well, and singing can form part of the breathing exercises that can help to shift the mucus, decreasing chance of infection.

‘Bianca serves as an inspiration to thousands of others with cystic fibrosis that they can follow their dreams and achieve success at doing the things they love.’

She has also dueted with Will Young, and even got the chance to perform for Prince William at a charity ball

Ms Nicholas began having tests for the condition when she was just five months old, but was given the official diagnosis after her second birthday.

She said: ‘I don't ever remember being told that I have CF, I just always knew I had it.

‘I was probably about seven years old when I realised how serious the condition is.

‘None of my school friends were going to the hospital all the time or taking loads of tablets every day. I suddenly realised I was different.

‘As I've got older I'm used to living with CF. I have to do physio on my chest every morning to clear the mucus on my lungs, and I take about 30 different drugs throughout the day.

Having improved her lung capacity, she now wants to be a professional singer

‘Every morning I take my inhaler, and a nebuliser which takes about an hour, and I have to eat a high calorie diet as the CF stops me from absorbing the goodness in my food.’

Ms Nicholas’ love of singing started when she was five.

Her mother heard her singing along to a tape and was surprised how good she was so enrolled her in an amateur dramatics group.

Since then she has been determined to make a name for herself, and regularly plays gigs up and down the country.

She has also dueted with Will Young, and even got the chance to perform for Prince William at a charity ball in 2008.

Ms Nicholas said: ‘Singing for Prince William was incredible. After I sang he gestured for me to come over and we spent half an hour chatting.

‘I was going to audition for X factor at the time, and he told me that he 'd vote for me if I went on. He was lovely.’

She said ‘I'd practice until I could sing a whole song without coughing. The more I sang, the bigger breaths I could take, and I struggled much less in everyday life.

‘It started to become clear that it was having a really positive affect on my health, and my doctors agreed.’

The next goal in Bianca's singing career is to secure a record deal.

For more information click here to visit the Cystic Fibrosis Trust’s website.

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Miracle baby gets heart transplant

Miracle baby gets heart transplant after five-month wait just weeks after thieves stole $3,000 from her medical expenses fund

By SNEJANA FARBEROV and DAILY MAIL REPORTER

An emotionally grueling five-month wait for one brave Florida family is finally over.

She will spend the next few weeks in hospital but Jaelyn's parents hope to have her at home for her first birthday

Late on Thursday evening the All Children's Hospital in Orlando (Florida) confirmed they had completed a successful heart transplant for Jaelyn Anderson. The little girl had been on the wait list since November 1 2012.

While Jaelyn can now begin her recovery, and her parents Brooke and Joshua Anderson, of St Petersburg, can look to the future with hope, it was only two weeks ago that things looked very different. 

On Valentine's Day when callous criminals stole $3,000 in cash donated towards her medical expenses.

Scroll down for video

Brave: After a five-month wait Jaelyn Anderson finally has a new heart

Relief: This is the moment that Brooke Anderson (holding her daughter Jaelyn) discovered that a heart was available for transplant. 'We got a heart! We got a heart,' she cried.

Jaelyn has been suffering from a potentially deadly virus called myocarditis, which has been causing her heart to expand. 

Though she was put on transplant list five months ago because the tissue in her heart is so rare, the family were told that it would take a long time to find the right match.

So when her family were told that a new heart was available on Thursday morning it was an overwhelming occasion. And the TV cameras were there.

With one doctor's words, Jaelyn's parents' world changed.

'We got a heart! We got a heart!' her mother Brooke Anderson cried. 'I'm happy but I'm scared,' she said immediately.

Jaelyn's parent's appeared on Anderson Live on CNN today and explained how they were at first in disbelief about the possibility of a transplant.

Brooke said the fact only 'registered' after three doctors were all telling the couple that a heart was available. 

The transplant was done on Thursday evening and late last night the Facebook page A New Heart For Jaelyn was updated with some good news.

Brooke Anderson can't stop crying with joy as she holds her daughter in her arms

Emotion: Jaelyn's mother Brooke burst into tears on Anderson Live after recounting the moment they discovered a heart was available and explaining how well their daughter was doing

Lifesaver: After a five-month wait a new heart for Jaelyn arrived, carried by a doctor in a cooler

When asked how Jaelyn is doing after the heart transplant, her mother replied Brooke replied: 'She's fabulous. She came out trying to rip everything out. She's amazing.'

'

The surgery went beautifully! She will also have a transplant nurse by her side through the night.'

'Jaelyn has had the new heart placed in and it is now beating on its own and she is off the bypass, so thank you for your thoughts and prayers.'

When host Anderson Cooper asked Brooke how Jaelyn was doing, Brooke replied: 'She's fabulous. She came out trying to rip everything out. She's amazing. They didn't expect her to be doing as well as she is,' said the proud mother.

She will spend the next few weeks in hospital but Jaelyn's parents hope to have her at home for her first birthday.

While waiting for a new heart, the family of the precious little girl racked up massive bills for her medical expenses. 

Jaelyn's grandfather set up a charity and while many donated generously, on February 14 thieves made off with $3,000 donated to Jaelyn's cause.

Video: Jaelyn's parents discover a heart transplant is available

Toddler Jaelyn Anderson gets a new heart.

Heartless crime: Thieves stole $3,000 meant to help the parents of ailing Jaelyn Anderson with her medical bills

Good Samaritans: Jaelyn's grandfather, Rodger Anderson, pictured left and right, mobilized his co-workers at JetBlue to raise money for the little girl 

In a bid to help her parents with the mounting costs of her care, Rodger Anderson, who works for JetBlue, mobilized his co-workers and raised about $10,000 in cash.

According to Anderson's colleague James Can Cleave, several JetBlue employees traveled to South Florida to collect a portion of the donations totaling $3,000.

But while they were having lunch in Orlando, someone broke into their van and stole the badly needed cash, along with their wallets, ID cards and luggage.

Jaelyn's grandfather said the heartless theft has left him devastated. His co-worker Van Cleave said it was gut-wrenching to find out that the donations were stolen.

Diagnosis: At six months, the child was rushed to the ER where doctors discovered that she has a virus called myocarditis that caused her heart to expand 

Precious patient: The sunny nine-month-old girl has been living at All Children's Hospital while waiting for a heart match

'It's a 10-month-old little girl that needs a transplant and it's her future,' he told MyFox Orlando. 'Without this help and support it's such a big burden on the family.'

According to a Facebook page set up by the Anderson family to raise funds for Jaelyn, last October, the toddler was rushed to an emergency room after experiencing trouble breathing.

At the hospital, doctors have discovered that Jaelyn was suffering from myocarditis.  

The smiling, rambunctious toddler has been living at All Children's Hospital since receiving the devastating diagnosis. The medical bills have been piling up, straining her parents' finances to the breaking point. 

Complications: The toddler's enormous heart has caused Jaelyn's right lung to collapse, and doctors say her rare heart tissue could mean a long wait for the perfect match  

Jaelyn's mother, Brooke, was forced to quit her job so that her daughter would not be left alone in the hospital. She told ABC Action News said the $3,000 would have gone a long way.

'She brings joy to everybody. She's so sick and she acts like nothing is wrong with her. I am amazed,' Mrs Anderson told 13News.

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New antibody class holds promise for organ recipients

NEWS Medical

Given that LG3 is present in all blood vessels and thus in all transplanted organs, Dr. H-bert's results could also explain rejection of other types of transplanted organ, such as the heart, lung and pancreas

A team led by Dr. Marie-Jos-e H-bert from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) has discovered a new cause of organ rejection in some kidney transplant patients. Her team has identified a new class of antibodies - anti-LG3 - which when activated lead to severe rejection episodes associated with a high rate of organ loss. This discovery, which holds promise for organ recipients, was published in the online version of the American Journal of Transplantation.

Rejection is one of the major obstacles to organ transplantation. For the most part, it occurs when the recipient's immune system recognizes the transplanted organ as a foreign body that must be eliminated. However, even when there is a good donor-recipient immunologic match, the recipient's immune system can attack the transplanted organ's blood vessels. Called acute vascular rejection, this phenomenon often leads to a high rate of graft loss.

H-bert's team has characterized anti-LG3, an antibody that some patients produce to attack LG3, a protein that plays an important role in vascular repair and regeneration. "In these patients, the secretion of LG3 by the new kidney stimulates the activity of these antibodies which attack and injure the blood vessels of the transplanted organ. The net effect is that the normal healing process of the transplanted organ is hindered, if not interrupted, leading to impaired kidney function and even loss," explains Dr. H-bert.

By identifying the heightened presence of anti-LG3 antibodies in patients prior to transplantation, researchers will be able to predict the development of severe rejection episodes. "These results are quite exciting," notes H-bert, "and suggest that new therapies aimed at eliminating LG3 antibodies prior to transplantation could reduce organ rejection or limit its severity."

Given that LG3 is present in all blood vessels and thus in all transplanted organs, H-bert's results could also explain rejection of other types of transplanted organ, such as the heart, lung and pancreas.

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