Young girl donates life saving 3D models to Science Museum

A four-year-old girl has given London’s Science Museum the 3D models used to perform her lifesaving kidney transplant.

Lucy Boucher, from Antrim in Northern Ireland, was given the life-saving kidney transplant in November 2015 after her father Chris donated his kidney to her.

Surgeons at Guy’s Hospital used 3D printing to accurately plan the operation and reduce any risks. They created models of Lucy’s abdomen and Chris’s kidney to identify any problems that would be involved with transplanting an adult sized kidney into a child’s abdomen,

The surgery marked the first time that 3D printing was used to assist kidney transplant surgery involving an adult donor and child recipient.

Lucy and Chris have donated the 3D models to the Science Museum, where they will be on permanent display as part of the Museum’s new Medicine Galleries.

Chris said: “It was a great privilege for Lucy to hand the models over. We never expected such a lovely thing to result from something that began as a dark, horrible experience when Lucy developed heart failure as a baby and then kidney failure, and then needed dialysis treatment until she had her transplant.

“Lucy is thriving – the kidney is working well in her, she’s grown a lot, her appetite is excellent, she’s now at nursery and enjoying ballet classes. Being part of the exhibition is a great testament to what a lot of medics in the NHS are doing and how by being determined, innovative and forward thinking they are making healthcare the best it can be.

“We are very excited to be part of the new exhibition. One of my earliest memories as a young boy was visiting the Science Museum on holiday in London so it’s a bit bizarre that the models of Lucy and I will be on permanent display there. It’s wonderful to think that I’ll still be able to go to the museum to look at the models when I’m an old man.

“Seeing the models before Lucy’s transplant helped me to understand what would happen and eased my concerns about the surgery. It was reassuring to know that the surgeons could plan the operation in such detail before it took place.”

Mr Pankaj Chandak, a transplant registrar at Guy’s developed the use of 3D prints for the surgery.

He said: “I’m delighted that these models will be on display at the Science Museum. It’s wonderful to see how well Lucy is doing and it’s an honour to know that millions of people of all ages will be able to learn about the models and Lucy’s surgery when they visit the Science Museum.

“3D printing is an exciting development and in Lucy’s case meant that we could plan to overcome the complexities that transplanting an adult sized donor kidney into a child’s small abdomen can bring. It allows surgical teams to simulate the operation in advance and identify any potential challenges that may occur, before the patient is on the operating table, by using replicas which are the next best thing to the actual organs.”

Selina Hurley, the Science Museum’s Curator of Medicine, said: “At the Science Museum, we endeavour to collect stories as well as objects to join the national collections. These models represent a powerful example of one family’s story of a life-changing transplant operation but also the potential uses of 3D printing technology in surgery and medicine.”