Boy, four, given part of dad's liver in life-saving transplant

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A four-year-old boy with a rare disease is recovering well after receiving part of his father's liver.

Harry Maceachen underwent the life-saving transplant operation at Birmingham Children's Hospital on Thursday.

He received a transplant before his first birthday but that liver had begun to fail, so a second one was required.

His father, Simon, donated part of his liver after no suitable match was found from the organ donor register.

More on Harry's story and updates from Shropshire

Harry, from Shrewsbury, was born with biliary atresia, which meant he had blocked bile ducts.

Father and son were treated at different hospitals and are both recovering well, doctors said.

Mr Maceachen was operated on at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where part of his liver was removed.

This was then transported to the children's hospital, where Harry was treated.

'Live donors'

Most transplants are donated from people who have died.

The liver is the only internal organ that can regenerate so a transplant can be taken from a living person.

Darius Mirza, transplant surgeon at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said: "The pool of available donors, particularly for children, is very small.

"Currently less than 5% of transplants are performed from live donors," he said.