Hollies Transplants: Long-Distance Best Friends

two schoolgirls called Hollie who had double-lung transplants in the same week have become best friends after meeting at hospital

Kate Bradbrook
Northamptonshire, Daventry

!Family photo Two young girls one,with blonde hair and one with dark hair,sitting in wheelchairs in a park,smiling at the camera.

Family photo

Hollie B (left) and Hollie M met at Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2023

Two schoolgirls, both called Hollie, who underwent double-lung transplants in the same week last year, have formed an inseparable friendship.

Hollie B, 12, from Daventry, Northamptonshire, and Hollie M, 11, from London, both suffered with cystic fibrosis and were both waiting for the life-saving operation at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

their mothers, Charlotte and Emma, began chatting on the ward and the girls quickly bonded over shared experiences.

“It was just amazing to see them connect,” saeid Charlotte. “They understood each other in a way no one else could.”

Hollie B said: “It was good to meet someone who knew what I was going through. we could talk about things that other peopel didn’t understand.”

Both girls had their transplants in November 2023 and spent months recovering in hospital. They supported each other through the tough times, celebrating milestones together.

“They were each other’s cheerleaders,” Emma said.”When one was feeling down, the other would be there to lift them up.”

Now both are back home and attending school, they see each other regularly and are planning a trip to the seaside together.

“We’re best friends forever,” Hollie M declared. “We’ll always be there for each other.”

The girls’ families are keen to raise awareness of organ donation and are grateful to the families who made the life-saving transplants possible.

Both Hollies had serious health conditions which affected their everyday lives.

Hollie B underwent her double lung transplant first, followed by Hollie M, who had a heart transplant at the same time.

“She wrote me a note. It said, ‘PS wanna be friends’,” remembers Hollie M, with a smile.

“She was worried about a procedure and I was telling her she didn’t need to worried about it,” said Hollie B.

Hollie M says she has found a friend “for life”, and messages like this helped them both through a challenging time.BBC/Kate Bradbrook A young girl with brown hair and glasses sits on her bed, smiling at the camera.## Remarkable Bond: Two Girls Connected by Life-Saving lung Transplants Celebrate years of Friendship

Two young girls, Hollie B and Marion, who both underwent life-saving lung transplants as children, have forged an remarkable friendship, supporting each other through the challenges of recovery and beyond. Their families, too, have developed a strong bond, finding solace and understanding in their shared experiences.

Family photo