Southsea mum backs Big Yellow Friday in aid of Children's Liver Disease Foundation after son's transplant

Jo Jelly from Landport could not be more thankful to the family that donated a liver to her son Dennis and changed his life.

He was born with a condition called biliary atresia which means his bile ducts aren't formed properly, blocked or even exist and at nine weeks old underwent surgery to correct this and went almost seven years without any complications.

In 2016, after being rushed to hospital the year before, Dennis was placed on the liver transplant list and after two phone calls that ended in disappointment, the third promised a new future for the family.

Jo said: ‘We cannot explain the relief that washed over us knowing that this was actually happening. Dennis was getting his second chance, he was going to be a healthy, energised little boy soon enough.

‘There was a whole rollercoaster ride of emotions.’

The youngster spent two days in the intensive care unit after his surgery before returning to a children’s ward dedicated to liver disease.

Jo added: ‘Each day Dennis was getting back to himself and then some as he had more energy than before. Each day more and more lines came out until he was left with just one singular line in and this was only to take regular blood samples from and to put any pain medication he needed through.

Just two weeks after the operation at King’s College Hospital in London, Dennis, who also has cerebral palsy, was allowed to return home and a month later he returned to school.

The now 11-year-old and his family are backing Big Yellow Friday, a national awareness and fundraising day for Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, to help find a cure and support families.

Jo said: ‘Dennis has truly been lucky with his new liver and blessed by the angel donor that selflessly gave his organs to save others in such need.

‘Every day when we watch Dennis do the simplest of tasks, we think of this kind young man and his family who are now without a relative and how hard it must be without them. We will forever be grateful to this young man and what he has done for our soldier son Dennis.’

Twenty children each week in the UK are diagnosed with a liver disease, a diagnosis which means a lifetime of medical care.

For more information visit childliverdisease.org