A schoolboy who nearly died while battling acute liver failure after contracting an ‘unknown’ virus has survived thanks to his THIRD transplant – and he’s only 12.
Theo Bowens was struck down by a mystery disease which caused acute liver failure when he was a 13-month old baby.
The miracle tot was just hours from death before his first liver transplant – five-days after he was diagnosed.
However, the transplanted liver failed and he remained critically ill before an urgent second transplant was carried out just 48 hours later.
Theo then suffered recurring infections and underwent a third liver transplant at just three-years-old in October 2008.
He suffered from delays in his development and has a rare form of epilepsy which were a result from acute liver failure.
But, now aged 12, Theo is loving life and enjoys cycling and swimming and has competed in events at the British Transplant Games every year since 2009.
His mother Rebecca Bowens, 46, is now urging others to sign the register.
The mum-of-two said:
“Theo is only alive today because three people were willing to go on the donor register and their families agreed to allow their organs to be donated.
“That’s why he is alive and living life to the full. We are thankful every single day for the donations of the three organs.
“Just last week we were horse riding – Theo is just so active now and we will always be indebted to those who gave up their organs to help our son when he needed them the most.”
The high-risk operations in February 2006 took a team of experts a total of 19 hours to complete causing tremendous heartache for his worried parents.
His father Simon, who thought his son was going to die, said: “When we watched him go into theatre each time we honestly didn’t know whether he would be coming back.
“Each time he was hours away from death but unbelievably each time he pulled through.
“Then we would have given anything for him to be better – now we’ve got that wish.”
Adding: “He is our own little miracle baby.”
For the first 13 months of his life, Theo was perfectly healthy but he was suddenly struck down by a mystery virus.
He became so ill Simon, 39, and Rebecca took him to accident and emergency, where doctors immediately diagnosed liver failure.
For days he was kept alive by a liver dialysis machine while he waited for a donor organ to become available.
After five anxious days, the call came and Theo was rushed into surgery at St James’s Hospital, in Leeds, West Yorks.
Simon, of Guiseley, West Yorks., said: “He has been an absolute inspiration to us.
“Every time we thought we were going to lose him he battled through.”
As a thank-you to the hospital, Simon raised over 2,000 for charity by taking part in a 28-mile run through the Lake District.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is urging people to sign the Organ Donation Register as part of its Be A Hero campaign.
NHS Blood and Transplant are urging potential donors to speak to family members about their wishes during Organ Donation Week.
To join the NHS Organ Donor Register visit: www.organdonation.nhs.uk.
