An 11-year-old boy from Shrewsbury is celebrating his first healthy Christmas outside hospital after a lifesaving liver transplant. Lucas Lesley was placed on the transplant waiting list in September 2023 after years of declining health, and his family say the gift of organ donation has given them a normal family Christmas at last.
Lucas was just six weeks old when a routine health visitor check led to urgent tests for severe jaundice. Doctors found liver problems and referred him to Birmingham Children's Hospital, where he was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare condition in which the bile ducts are abnormally narrow, blocked or missing. At nine weeks old, he underwent the Kasai procedure to allow bile to drain from the liver, but at age four he developed portal hypertension, causing complications including an enlarged spleen and frequent nosebleeds.
By the time he was nine, infections were becoming more frequent and his liver function was deteriorating. He required constant monitoring, including regular blood tests and endoscopies, and had to reduce his school hours. In the final seven months before his transplant, he was too unwell to attend school at all. His mother, Mandie Scott, said: "As we saw Lucas get sicker, we were always worried whether that call would come in time. It's so heartbreaking to see your child so ill and all you can do is wait."
The call came earlier this year, and Lucas underwent an eight-hour transplant operation at Birmingham Children's Hospital. His mother said he faced it "like a trooper" and spent four weeks recovering before being allowed home. The family, including father Ryan Leslie, now plans its first normal Christmas with Lucas well and healthy. Mandie said: "We are so thankful that this wonderful family said yes to organ donation and allowed Lucas, and possibly others, a second chance at life. They are heroes in my eyes."
Lucas's story comes as the NHS transplant waiting list has reached a record high of more than 8,000 people, including almost 250 children. NHS Blood and Transplant is urging people to sign the Organ Donor Register and make their wishes clear. Anthony Clarkson, the organisation's donation director, said: "I'm delighted to hear Lucas is doing so well after his transplant. Organ donation truly is the ultimate gift and for those families who agree to support donation going ahead amidst their grief, it is testament to their bravery and generosity."
