A mother has successfully saved her 21-month-old son’s life by donating part of her liver. Teddy Nicholls suffered from a rare condition called neonatal hemochromatosis, which can lead to fatal liver failure in newborns if left untreated. This is the second life-saving transplant Teddy has undergone, with his first transplant being from a deceased donor in 2022. The recent operation, carried out at King’s College Hospital in London, utilized a technique known as a hitch-vein monosegment liver transplant, which involved resizing the donated liver tissue to suit a baby’s body. This procedure was necessary as waiting for a suitable liver from another small baby was considered rare. Teddy, who lives in Cambridgeshire with his parents and older brother, was able to return home just three weeks after the surgery and enjoy the Christmas holiday with his family.
Teddy’s mother, Emma Nicholls, expressed her gratitude towards the first organ donor who saved Teddy’s life and had no hesitations about stepping in when her son needed her help. She was unable to donate when Teddy was 10 weeks old because she had recently given birth. The successful transplant has given Teddy the opportunity to develop normally, according to Dr Hector Vilca Melendez, a consultant transplant surgeon at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The Nicholls family expressed their immense gratitude towards the hospital team for their exceptional care throughout Teddy’s treatment. They feel incredibly fortunate and fortunate to be reunited as a family just in time for Christmas.
