Son fought age limit to become live donor for his Mom.

Interesting story on live donor liver donation out of Canada, referring to age limits on donors - and a son donating to his mother.  Nice picture of them together in this link.  

http://www.durhamregion.com/life/article/181194


HealthAndWellness
Ajax teen 'just wanted' his mother to get well
Raveena Aulakh - Jul 14, 2011 - 04:30 AM

AJAX -- She gave him life; the least he could do was return the favour.

But first the hospital had to be convinced that 17-year-old Trey
Gregory was not too young to save his dying mother's life.

When Toronto General Hospital finally allowed him to donate a piece
of his liver, it also changed its policy for the minimum age for live donors.

"I'm alive and my son saved my life," says Trey's mother, Patty Gregory.

Ms. Gregory, 54, had liver disease and was put on the transplant
waiting list in October 2009. Trey, then 16, wanted to donate.

His mother wouldn't hear of it. "I was convinced I would get a donor
in time," she says, adding she didn't want to risk her son's life.

But as her condition deteriorated and Trey kept insisting, she agreed.

"She was so sick . . ." says Trey. "I just wanted her to get well."

But Toronto General does not allow anyone younger than 18 to donate.
Last March, the shy Grade 12 student at Pickering High School decided
to press the issue.

Trey was told repeatedly he wasn't old enough, but that didn't stop
him. He met with surgeons, a psychiatrist and social workers.

Eventually, he won them over.

A few days before the surgery, he confided in some friends, teachers
and the vice-principal at his school.

On May 13, after many blood tests and scans, he underwent an 11-hour
surgery in which a transplant team removed a piece of his liver. The
next few days were a blur of excruciating pain, he says.

By the sixth day, the pain was gone. He was home a week later, and
that evening, he went to Kelsey's for dinner with friends. Two days
after that, he was back at school, a bit of a hero even though he
won't admit it.

David Grant, surgical director at Toronto General's multi-organ
transplant program, says the policy was changed because "a young
person challenged the age cut-off."

The hospital's "robust" assessment procedure means people as young as
16 may now donate a portion of their liver, Dr. Grant says.

Liver patients face the second-longest wait in Canada, after kidney
patients. While younger donors don't face any more risk, "it may be
more difficult to ensure they comprehend" all of the benefits and
risks involved, says Dr. Grant.

The hospital performs about 150 liver transplants a year from live
and deceased donors.

Live-donor liver transplantation has a 30 per cent risk of
complications, with an estimated five out of 1,000 donors losing their lives.

Ms. Gregory's surgery came five days after Mother's Day.

Before she was wheeled into the operating room, she took her dad's
hand, held it tightly and told him the first thing she wanted to hear
when she woke up was that Trey was OK.

She woke up 28 hours later and through a haze, saw her dad crying.

"I panicked. ... I thought something had happened to Trey," says Ms.
Gregory, her voice shaking.

It turned out those were tears of joy -- her dad was relieved that
she had woken up. "Trey was well, he said," Ms. Gregory recalls.
"That's all I needed to know."

As Ms. Gregory waxes eloquent about her son, Trey sits in a corner of
the living room quietly answering questions. He reluctantly shows his
23-centimetre scar -- it looks like a hockey stick running from his
lower abdomen to chest.

It takes more prodding before Trey shows his medals for football,
karate, math and javelin throw.

Trey, who will have regular checkups for the next 10 years, says he
missed the rugby finals at school but is grateful he will have enough
time to recuperate before football starts in September. He is also
part of his school's athletic team.

Ms. Gregory is still frail, on pain medication and needs a cane to
walk around the house.

A few days after the transplant, she jokingly asked Trey what he
wanted in return for the liver.

One million dollars, he said.

They've settled for a Caribbean cruise some time soon.

[beeblessed]

WOW!  What an incredible kid.  This is a great article.  Thanks for sharing it!