A father donated a fifth of his liver to save the life of his 22-month-old daughter, even though doctors could not confirm he was a match until they had already opened him up on the operating table. Rory Griffiths, 34, a pig farmer from Whitchurch, Shropshire, said he did not hesitate when he learned he could potentially donate part of his organ to his daughter Harriet, who urgently needed a transplant.
Procedure Across Two Hospitals
The transplant operation took place at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEHB), where surgeons removed a portion of Rory's liver roughly the size and weight of a Coke can – 311 grams. It was only at that point, when they could visually inspect the organ, that they confirmed he was a suitable donor. Simultaneously, Harriet was in an operating theatre just two miles away at Birmingham Children's Hospital (BCH). Rory's liver segment was rushed between the hospitals, where surgeons spent six hours performing the delicate transplant procedure.
Successful Surgeries and Recovery
Both surgeries were successful. Four days later, father and daughter were reunited when Rory visited Harriet in hospital. Rory said: “I’d normalised the fact that ‘doesn’t every dad donate part of their organ to their child?’ When I got there and saw her, I was so glad to see her. She was daddy’s girl anyway, but now I feel I have an even stronger bond with her.” He added that he came out of hospital after six days and felt good; within about 12 weeks, his liver had fully regenerated. “If I could do it again for another person to save their life, I would,” he said.
Mother's Relief and Diagnosis
Harriet's mother, Emily, 31, recalled the moment she learned the transplant could proceed: “Even though Rory had undergone all the tests, they didn’t know for sure that the transplant could take place until they had opened him up and checked his liver. At that point the surgeons called their counterparts operating on Harriet to give them the go ahead. It was at that moment I shed a tear of relief – that Harriet was going to get the liver transplant she so badly needed.” Emily explained that the family first discovered something was wrong when Harriet developed jaundice and had poor weight gain. She was diagnosed at eight weeks old with Alpha 1 Anti-Trypsin Deficiency, a genetic condition. Despite treatment, she developed chronic liver disease around 12 months old and was told she needed a transplant. While discussing the deceased donor process, the family learned about the live liver transplant programme at QEHB and BCH. “Rory was a match and the decision was made for us about who it would be,” Emily said.
Surgeon's Comments
Surgeon Hector Vilca-Melendez of Birmingham Children's Hospital said: “I’m very pleased that we have been able to re-establish the living donor liver transplant programme at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, providing another life-saving transplant option for our patients. This achievement was only possible through the close collaboration with the adult liver transplant centre at the QEHB, where the donor operation was performed, and through the dedication and expertise of the multidisciplinary transplant team at BCH. We are now looking forward to seeing Harriet grow up and enjoy as normal a childhood as possible, thanks to the extraordinary gift of part of her father’s liver.”
