Australian Mom Dies after Transplant Fails

In a sad follow-up to a story I shared a few weeks ago, Claire Murray, 24, an Australian mother fighting drug addiction, died in a Singapore hospital after her life-support machine was turned off.

She was in surgery for eight hours yesterday, but all in vain, as it turned out. Doctors told Ms Murray's family that Claire had "too many blood clots'' near her heart. Her first liver transplant failed after she returned to using drugs.

The Perth mother-of-two, received a portion of her aunty Carolynn's liver, but was hit by post-surgical complications. Her aunt remains in the same hospital where she is recovering from her surgery.
Ms Murray made headlines after the Western Australian government gave her a $258,000 two-year interest-free loan to pay for the surgery, after an earlier taxpayer-funded liver transplant failed due to her heroin addiction.

WA Health Minister Kim Hames expressed his condolences to the Murray family. "The loss of a young person like Claire is tragic," Dr Hames said.

"She was a much loved daughter to her parents and a mother to her two sons. "She was also an example of what can happen when the scourge of illicit drugs enters the life of a young person.