An 11-year-old boy from Shropshire is set to celebrate his first healthy Christmas at home, free from hospital visits, following a lifesaving liver transplant earlier this year.
A Long Medical Journey
Lucas Lesley's health struggles began when he was just six weeks old. A routine check-up revealed severe jaundice, leading to urgent tests and a referral to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. There, he was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia, a rare condition where the bile ducts are blocked or missing.
At nine weeks old, Lucas underwent a major operation called the Kasai procedure to help bile drain from his liver. While the surgery helped him through his early years, complications arose by age four. He developed portal hypertension, a dangerous increase in pressure in a major liver vein, which led to an enlarged spleen and frequent nosebleeds.
His health continued to decline, with more frequent infections and deteriorating liver function. In September 2023, at nine years old, Lucas was placed on the transplant waiting list. His condition required constant monitoring, regular blood tests, and endoscopies. He had to reduce his school hours and, for the final seven months before his transplant, was too unwell to attend at all.
The Life-Changing Call
His parents, Mandie Scott, 35, and Ryan Leslie, 37, from Hanwood, Shrewsbury, lived with the constant fear that the call for a donor organ might not come in time. "The waiting was so hard," Mandie said. "It’s heartbreaking to see your child so ill and all you can do is wait."
Earlier this year, the call they had been praying for finally arrived. A matching liver had been found. Mandie described feeling "elated" but also "torn," knowing another family was enduring an immense loss. "They are heroes in my eyes," she said of the donor family.
Lucas then faced an eight-hour transplant procedure at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, followed by a four-week recovery period in hospital before he could return home.
A Record Waiting List and a Plea for Donors
Lucas's story of hope comes against a sobering national backdrop. A record 8,000 people in the UK are currently waiting for an organ transplant, including almost 250 children. This is the highest number ever recorded, attributed to a post-pandemic drop in donors and increasing demand from an aging population.
Mandie, who admits her family had not previously considered organ donation, now urges everyone to sign the NHS Organ Donor Register. "I think if you are prepared to take an organ, you should be prepared to give one," she stated.
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), echoed this sentiment. "Organ donation truly is the ultimate gift," he said. "I would encourage everyone who supports organ donation to join the NHS Organ Donor Register and let your families know your decision."
For Lucas and his family, the gift of donation means everything. As Christmas approaches, they are planning a celebration they once feared was impossible. "He is full of beans and so excited," Mandie said. "The gift that the donor family gave has given us our lively little boy back. For us, it’s the best gift we could have for Christmas."
