A mum, whose son has been on the transplant list since December, has revealed that her only wish this Christmas is for him to receive a new liver.
Teddy Nicholls and his mum, Emma, made headlines after undergoing the pioneering operation.
The tot, now aged three, underwent his first transplant at just 10 weeks old.
Not long after, though, he needed another one and his only option was to wait for a deceased donor liver from another small baby, which was “rare”.
In a bid to save her son’s life, the 34-year-old decided to donate part of her liver.
Now, however, he’s in need of another life-saving transplant as this has started to fail.
“It would be the best possible Christmas present for our whole family if Teddy could get a transplant,” the mum, from Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, told Need To Know.
“He’s okay at the moment, but there are already signs his liver is deteriorating.
“Unfortunately, they can’t surgically open the veins.
“The doctors have said the best way forward is a whole new donated liver.
“Everyone says he looks amazing.
“And the doctors say that he can wait for the right liver to arrive.
“They don’t want to risk it, they want to give him one that’s the best for him and hopefully one that will last.”
Teddy was born with neonatal haemachromatosis, which causes an iron overload in his liver.
It can cause liver failure, jaundice and issues with other organs if left untreated.
Sadly, the donation from his mum has started to fail as the veins have become blocked.
He’s been on the transplant waiting list since December 2024.
Teddy isn’t letting his battle get his spirits down, though.
She said: “He is a character on the highest level, super cheeky and brings happiness to everyone he meets.
“I think it’s his determination and stubbornness [that] gets him through everything he has to deal with.
“He makes sure he does everything like his big brother and will always put a smile on your face with his little dances.”
Teddy is currently under the care of King’s College Hospital in London.
Emma is sharing his story to spread awareness for the importance of organ donation and to hopefully find someone that can give him the gift of life.
She added: “People always ask us: ‘How do you cope?’
“I think we’ve just been running on adrenaline since Teddy was born.
“[He] keeps fighting, so we keep fighting with him.
“He’s our little trooper.
“It’s so important [to donate].
“It’s the best gift that anybody could receive in life.
“There are so many families just like us.
“Without donating, so many families would be so massively affected.
“We urge people to support Organ Donation Week and show their support for donation on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
“Unfortunately, we see the transplant waiting list numbers are going up and up and up.
“Some patients may not have the chance.
“We just keep on living and making all the memories we can with our boys.
“It’s all we can do.”
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