Bravest sister imaginable

CATHERINE pictured when she received her much-prized art history degree

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UK’s first liver transplant sibling dies at 33 

CATHERINE ANDREW, the Oldham sister who made medical history with her brother as the country’s first liver transplant siblings, has died aged 33.

She suffered cystic fibrosis like her brother, Christopher, who died in 2001 aged 24.

And she battled on to get her art history degree and her first job as a teacher, spurred on by her memories of Christopher, whose illness twice ended his university hopes.

After Christopher’s death, Catherine studied fine arts at Bolton Institute and became a teacher at Kesteven and Sleaford High School, Lincolnshire.

Catherine lived with her partner Wayne in Ancaster near Grantham, Lincolnshire, and died on Monday.

Her funeral will be on Thursday, with service at St Edward’s RC Church, Lees, at 10am followed by interment at Chadderton at 11.30.

Both Catherine and Christopher, former St Augustine of Canterbury RC School pupils, were born with cystic fibrosis which affects the lungs and digestion.

Neither of them let their condition get them down — he was a keen cyclist and she loved ballet, music, dance and her Irish heritage.

Their aunt, Lesley Sweeney, of Lydgate, said: “Catherine lived life to the full.

“She was spurred on to complete her degree because her brother could not.

“He attempted it twice and had to pull out because of ill-health, so Catherine was doubly determined.

“She was an inspiration. She had a beautiful, bubbly personality, and was always content with what life had dealt her.

“Catherine had her own Bohemian style of dress and we called her our Gipsy princess.

“They were the bravest and most courageous brother and sister imaginable.”

A year after Christopher had a liver transplant in 1999, he was nursing his sister back to health.

Catherine had become so ill that she slipped into a diabetic coma, before she became the first person with cystic fibrosis to have a double liver and pancreas transplant.

Their mother, Anne, a midwifery sister, died in 1992, so brother and sister lived together in Covert Road, Holts, to look after each other.

Staff from Wythenshawe Hospital, where Catherine and Christopher were cared for, will be at the funeral, and the Christopher Andrew Achievement Fund annually gives two poorly children £500 to assist with their education or hobbies.