The medical condition of nine-year-old Hanna Lendor, who needs a liver transplant, has gotten worse and doctors believe if she does not have surgery soon the little girl would die within the next five years.

Lendor is suffering with an advance stage of Hepatopulmonary Syndrome caused by liver cirrhosis due to probable Autoimmune Hepatitis.

Without the transplant she would be dead, according to Dr Pedro A Rivas Vetencourt, who spoke with the Express on Wednesday at a press conference held at the office of Dr Leonardo Akan, one of the local doctors, at Adam Smith Square, Woodbrook.

Vetencourt, the Director of the Metropolitan Liver Transplant Programme at the Metropolitan Hospital, Caracas, Venezuela, said Lendor’s condition had gotten worse since her May 6-9 visit at his Caracas office.

Lendor and her mother Arlene, both of Sea Lots, Port of Spain visited Caracas last week prompting Vetencourt to travel to Trinidad to meet with Akan to discuss the next move for Hanna.

Doctors have approved the mother as her daughter’s donor.

The liver transplant costs $1.3 million. And the $100,000 which had been previously raised has dwindled following the Caracas trip last week.

The price tag would cover the cost of the operation, four post operation visits, hotel and accommodation for Hannah, her mother and two other relatives who have to take care of them while they recuperate.

The mother said that her daughter wants to grow up like any normal girl, go through puberty, have a boyfriend and most importantly be able to live a healthy life.

Her daughter, who left school at a Standard One level at the Moulton Hall Methodist School, Port of Spain, due to her illness, was undiagnosed since November 2006. She fell ill with what was thought to be the common cold, however, after a month her mother was called in to her school because the child teachers noticed her fingers and her lips were turning black and blue. She underwent a series of tests including three HIV tests, liver and kidney tests, a lung examination, an echocardiogram (to examine the heart) and a CAT scan.

Anyone wishing to help the child can make a donation to account number 8917113188 at any branch of Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (RBTT).

A plea was also made for those who have pledged to donate money to make their deposits at the above bank accounts.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine: Hepatopulmonary Syndrome is a liver-induced lung vascular disorder that is characterised by a defect in arterial oxygenation induced by pulmonary vascular dilatation in the setting of liver disease. This clinical syndrome has three components: liver disease, pulmonary vascular dilatation, and a defect in oxygenation.