A mother named Emma Nicholls has saved the life of her 21-month-old son, Teddy Nicholls, by donating part of her liver. Teddy inherited a rare condition called neonatal hemochromatosis, which can lead to fatal liver failure in newborns. This is the second life-saving transplant Teddy has undergone, with the first being a transplant from a deceased donor in 2022.
The recent operation, carried out at King’s College Hospital in London, involved a hitch-vein monosegment liver transplant, where surgeons reduced the size of the donated liver tissue to suit a baby’s body. The alternative would have been waiting for a deceased donor liver from another small baby, which is considered rare. Three weeks after the procedure, Teddy returned home to Cambridgeshire to celebrate Christmas with his family.
Emma Nicholls expressed her gratitude to the hospital team for their exceptional care and support throughout the process. Dr. Hector Vilca Melendez, a consultant transplant surgeon at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, praised the successful outcome and stated that Teddy now has the opportunity to develop normally, thanks to his mother’s donation.
