Little liver sought

Press, 30 November 1987, Page 3

Little liver sought

PA Hamilton Hospitals in New Zealand and Australia have been asked to look out for a suitable liver for Regan Chibnall. Regan’s grandmother, Mrs Mary Hodgson, of Cambridge, said at the week-end attempts were being made to get one a similar size to the two-year-old’s. “But if they don’t get one in a fortnight, they will send out calls for a bigger one,” she said.

Mrs Hodgson, who spoke to Regan’s father, lan, by telephone on Friday night, said she understood that the larger the liver used, the greater the risk the transplant might not succeed. “They would have liked to build him up before the operation but there is not time. But at least he has got a chance now,” she said. Brisbane Royal Children’s hospital, where

Regan was admitted last week for assessment, announced on Friday that he was being put on the liver transplant waiting list Mrs Hodgson said Regan’s father, who is in Brisbane with his son, had coped well with the strain of waiting for the go-ahead announcement “He’s a calm sort of person. He just takes each day as it comes and sees good news as a bonus.”