Crown Princess Mette-Marit Discharged from Hospital
Photo: NTB
The Crown Princess has been discharged from Rikshospitalet after a lung transplant. "I am deeply grateful. First I want to thank everyone who chooses organ donation," she says. A long period of rehabilitation now awaits.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been discharged from Rikshospitalet in Oslo after undergoing a lung transplant, the Royal House announced in a press release on Tuesday 14 July.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Photo: NTB
In the press release, the Crown Princess gives the following statement:
"I am deeply grateful. First I want to thank everyone who chooses organ donation. It has given me the gift of life, and words fall short when I try to describe how grateful and humbled I am by this.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has followed my path on this long journey. My family, doctors, surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists and other health personnel, and everyone else who every day makes an irreplaceable effort in the Norwegian health service.
I want to send a special greeting to my fibrosis friends. You have been exceptional through one of life's most demanding phases. Living with fibrosis is not for the faint-hearted, and not a day goes by without me thinking of how strong you are.
I deeply appreciate the care and concern I have received during my illness from so many people all over Norway. It has given me strength when I have needed it the most. Thank you so much."
The Crown Princess has lived with the chronic lung disease pulmonary fibrosis for several years. The diagnosis was made public in 2018.
"It is a great relief to have the Crown Princess home from hospital. We are all very happy that the first phase has gone as well as it has. We are also incredibly impressed by Oslo University Hospital. Even though we know there is a long road of convalescence ahead of us, and that complications may arise, it feels very good to have come this far," says Crown Prince Haakon.
The Crown Prince couple. Archive photo from 2013. Photo: Frankie Fouganthin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
"The Crown Princess's condition is good under the circumstances," reports Are Holm, head of the pulmonary department at Rikshospitalet.
"For the next six months, the Crown Princess will focus on rehabilitation and receive close follow-up with regard to possible complications such as rejection and infections," says Holm, adding: "In a good course of recovery, it often takes about a year before the condition enters a more stable phase."
There are no plans for the Crown Princess to carry out official engagements during the rehabilitation period. Crown Prince Haakon will maintain an official programme during this period, but will make some adjustments in order to spend time with the Crown Princess.