Isabelle Rose Christenson, 10, who survived a multivisceral transplant when she was 6 and a kidney transplant fewer than two years later, died in her Cranberry home Wednesday, two days after suffering a heart attack.

Isabelle, who had a genetic disease called mitochondrial disorder that led to her transplants, had the heart attack while she was getting intravenous medications at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

Though Children's was the site of her operations, her mother said she loved to go there because she liked the personnel so much.

"When she had a birthday, she wanted to have her birthday there," Michelle Christenson said. "She said they were her friends."

Isabelle's first transplant surgery replaced her liver, stomach, small bowel, pancreas and duodenum. The mitochondrial disorder had damaged her bowel, leaving her dependent on a type of intravenous nutrition that damaged her liver. The transplants afforded her the chance to eat real food for the first time.

The kidney transplant was needed because hers were damaged by one of the antibiotics and immunosuppressants she took for multiple infections.

Over her short life, she also had several strokes that temporarily cost her the ability to walk or talk.

The multivisceral transplant kept her from dying from liver and intestinal failure, but mitochondrial disorder itself has no cure.

Isabelle, who would have started fourth grade in a few weeks, liked arts and crafts and playing with her Shih Tzu, Lucy. Last year she played the role of an orphan in a local production of "Annie." Last month, she participated in the 5K walk/run of the National Kidney Foundation U.S. Transplant Games, covering the course in her walker.

"She was a very special person," Mrs. Christenson said.

Besides her mother, Isabelle is survived by her father, Dan; her older sister, Madeline; her grandparents, Barb and Jim Shumaker of Cranberry and Paul and Karol Christenson of Sauk Centre, Minn.; and two great-grandmothers.

A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. today in Cranberry Community United Presbyterian Church.

The family suggests contributions to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation, 1250 Waterfront Place, Floor 5, Pittsburgh 15222. The contribution should be noted as being in memory of Isabelle Christenson.