Lareia was born with Biliary Atresia, a condition in infants where the bile ducts inside and outside the liver are scarred and blocked. Bile can’t flow through into the intestine, so bile builds up in the liver causing damage. The most effective treatment for this condition is a liver transplant.

First time parents Elyse and Errol were living in Kalgoorlie at the time Lareia was born. When she was a few weeks old they were told they were rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth. Not long after they arrived, they were told they would have to fly to Sydney as Lareia needed surgery that was not available in WA.

Lareia was only a couple of months old when she had her first operation, a surgery called the Kasai Procedure whereby blocked bile ducts are bypassed to restore normal bile flow. After spending a few weeks in Sydney, they found out that the surgery was unsuccessful. After one month back in Perth, Lareia had to go back over to Sydney in preparation for a liver transplant. They were sent back to Perth and given a pager, told to have a suitcase ready.

Elyse was pregnant with their second child and they predicted that when Lareia would be getting the transplant would be when Elyse would be giving birth. They decided the best option was to relocate to Sydney while they waited. It was an agonising wait watching as Lareia deteriorated while waiting for the transplant. They found themselves at the hospital almost daily for transfusions.