‘I haven’t got a new liver — my dad’s 51!’

DENNIS MIDDLETON did not think twice when doctors asked him to donate part of his liver to his youngest son, Steven.

When 11-year-old Steven lost his interest in football last September, Mr Middleton knew he could not wait any longer for the life-saving operation. And it did not matter to either of them that they were the first Irish family to take part in a living related liver- donor programme.

"I never thought twice about being a donor," said Mr Middleton. "I knew it had to be done and when Steven lost interest in football. I knew he could not wait any longer."

But the surgical team at King's College in London would have preferred to wait for a liver to be donated from a dead person.

While Mr Middleton, a father-of-three from Sandymount, Dublin, was found to be a suitable 'live' donor after three weeks of tests, doctors knew the procedure would be difficult.

His wife Gaye recalled that her husband was in intensive care for a week and spent longer in hospital than their son.

Transplant surgeons separated and removed 22% of Mr Middleton's liver and then transplanted it into his son's body.

And when Steven was asked afterwards what he thought of his new liver he left everyone gobsmacked. "I haven't got a new liver my dad's 51 years old!" he retorted.

Liver specialist at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin, Dr Billy Bourke said Steven suffered from a genetic liver disease. While he would need to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life, he was expected to make a good recovery.

Dr Bourke is part of a multi-disciplinary liver care team at the hospital that has a transplant arrangement in place with King's College for the past 15 years.

Every year, around 10 children from Ireland undergo liver transplants at the London hospital.

"It is accepted worldwide that you really need to be in a high volume throughput situation to ensure the best survival," he said.

Dr Bourke also pointed out that King's College did not discriminate between Irish and English children needing liver transplants.

"It is actually an advantage because the pool of livers that are available is bigger than it would be in Ireland," he added.

He said more families would be asked if they wanted to take part in the living related liver-donor programme in the future.

"This will be an option for many families in the future. It is not appropriate for everybody but will be there as an opportunity for others," he said.