BEING diagnosed with a rare liver disease when she was just 17 years old changed Leah O’Donnell’s life.

The Milngavie student has Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), which affects only seven out of 100,000 people in the UK.

“I had no idea I was sick,” explains Leah.

“I went from being a perfectly healthy teenager to being told I had a chronic condition that would affect me for the rest of my life. It made me face my mortality way earlier than I was prepared for.”

Leah's film aims to help children with the condition (Image: University of Dundee)

She adds: “My doctor at the time did a great job of condensing the information as much as possible, explaining what was happening with my liver and the kind of treatments I could expect to receive.

“And I was lucky that my mum was there with me – she's a nurse and was able to translate a lot of the really complicated medical terms coming from the doctor. I’m aware not everyone has that, but it was still extremely scary and overwhelming.”

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Now Leah is using her experience to help children newly diagnosed with PSC, as part of her Masters degree at university.

For her Medical Art postgraduate project, Leah has created an educational animated film about the condition, designed with adolescents and children in mind.

PSC is an uncommon form of liver disease in which the immune system attacks the tubes that drain bile from the liver. Inflammation can then cause dangerous blockages in the tubes.

With the correct treatment, most people diagnosed with PSC will go on to live relatively healthy lives.

For some, however, it can lead to liver failure, and if left untreated, can cause serious complications such as sepsis and jaundice.

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After her diagnosis, Leah discovered there were limited resources online for PSC, and those she did find were aimed toward healthcare professionals or adults with some medical knowledge.

Leah said, “The medical jargon is overwhelming, and not everyone has the benefit I had of having a mum who understands and can translate it to simple terms.

“I felt very sympathetic for families, parents, who have a little one diagnosed with this disease and are trying to look it up to find out what it means.”

Leah’s animated film, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: A Guide for Children and Families, follows a young child as they experience the symptoms of PSC, are then seen by a doctor and given a diagnosis, and it also provides information on the condition and potential treatments.

Medical professionals involved in Leah’s care have praised the film, and plan to share it within their networks.

As part of her postgraduate project, she has also created an educational poster which she hopes will be displayed in relevant healthcare areas, such as children’s hospitals.

Both resources will be on display at Dundee University's Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art Design Masters Show 2024, open to the public from August 24 to September 1.