Sick girl snubbed by Ramsay has life saving surgery

Matisse Reid is hooked up to an IV feeding bag for 16 hours a day to keep her alive. Photo / Supplied

A chronically ill Hawkes Bay girl whose charity event was snubbed by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is getting life saving surgery.

After a four-year wait, nine-year-old Matisse Reid is undergoing a multiple-organ transplant in Pittsburgh today to treat chronic Intestinal Pseudo Obstruction.

Online updates from the family say she was taken in to surgery in the early hours of the morning (NZ time).

Her stomach, pancreas, small and large bowel were out by about 9am.

They would be replaced over the next four hours, the update says.

"Matisse has had a long day in surgery. They are now putting in a new normal size working intestine - hard to imagine, working intestine and Matisse in the same sentence. So very very grateful."

The Reid family moved to Pittsburgh so they could be near the children's hospital when transplant organs became available for Matisse.

Her rare intenstinal disorder has made her unable to eat - though she loves to cook.

She has suffered chronic stomach pains and a life of being fed through an intravenous drip.

Two charity dinners in Auckland and Wellington to support her treatment were cancelled in October when star guest Gordon Ramsay pulled out at the last minute.

Lawyers said the cancellation was due to circumstances beyond the Hells Kitchen star's control.

Duco Events had sold 2000 seats to the dinners and hoped to raise $100,000.

Mother Jodee Reid told the Herald at the time that Matisse would be "devastated" when she told her the chef would not be cooking dinners in her honour.

Legal action has been lodged against Ramsay on behalf of the event organisers and the Reid family.

The setback was one of many that hit the family on their way to today's surgery.

They suffered eight "false-alarm calls" in their wait for Matisse's organ transplants.

The family are thanking the selfless generosity of a donor family for ending their long wait.

"Please keep her in your prayers and the donor family who so selflessly donated organs and are now facing life without their child. We are eternally grateful."

- Additional reporting Andrew Koubaridis