An 11-year-old boy from Shropshire is preparing to enjoy his first healthy Christmas after receiving a life-saving liver transplant earlier this year, following a childhood marked by severe liver disease.

Lucas Leslie was just six weeks old when a routine visit from his health visitor led to urgent hospital tests for severe jaundice. Doctors soon identified liver problems and referred him to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where further investigation confirmed Biliary Atresia – a rare condition in which the bile ducts are abnormally narrow, blocked or missing. 

At just nine weeks old, Lucas underwent a major operation known as the Kasai procedure, designed to allow bile to drain from the liver. The surgery supported him through his early years, but at age four he developed portal hypertension, a dangerous build-up of pressure in a major vein leading into the liver. The condition caused complications including an enlarged spleen and frequent nosebleeds. 

By the time he was nine, infections were becoming more frequent, and his liver function was deteriorating. In September 2023, his clinical team placed him on the transplant waiting list. 

As Lucas’ condition worsened, he required constant monitoring, including regular blood tests and endoscopies. His health forced him to reduce his school hours, and in the final seven months before transplant he was too unwell to attend at all. 

Lucas lives with his mum Mandie Scott, 35, and dad, Ryan Leslie, 37, in Hanwood, near Shrewsbury.  

“The waiting was so hard,” said his mum, Mandie, a former Senior Carer. “As we saw Lucas get sicker, we were always worried whether that call would come in time. It’s so heartbreaking to see your child so ill and all you can do is wait.”

With the option of a living liver donor available, the family launched an online appeal – and were overwhelmed by the number of people coming forward for testing. But in the first part of this year, the call they had been hoping for arrived: a matching liver from a deceased donor had been found. 

“We were so elated to hear that they had found a liver for Lucas, but at the same time we felt so torn,” Mandie said. “We knew a family was going through the hardest time of their life. We also knew that even though this is ultimately what we’d been waiting for, it was just the start of Lucas’ battle for recovery after the 8-hour procedure at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and he faced it like a trooper. He spent 4 weeks there recovering before being allowed home.”

More than 8,000 people – the highest number ever recorded in the UK – will spend Christmas waiting for a transplant – including almost 250 children. Lucas is one of the lucky ones who received a transplant in time for Christmas.

Mandie is full of gratitude for the chance to have their first normal Christmas as a family: “We are so thankful that this wonderful family said yes to organ donation and allowed Lucas, and possibly others, a second chance at life. They are heroes in my eyes.”

As Christmas Day approaches, the family is planning a celebration they once feared they’d never have. 

“This year we are looking forward to enjoying our first proper Christmas with Lucas well and healthy,” Mandie said.“He is full of beans and so excited – it’s his favourite time of year, especially with his birthday being in December too. He has never had a birthday or Christmas without worrying about being ill or in hospital, so we are just so excited to have a normal family Christmas this year. The gift that the donor family gave has given us our lively little boy back, for us it’s the best gift we could have for Christmas.”

Lucas is now enjoying life like any typical 11-year-old – he’s energetic, loves gaming, and is back in school. He will, however, need to take anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life to stay healthy and prevent his body from rejecting his new liver.

Mandie says the whole experience has made her and fiancé, Ryan, think differently about organ donation. 

“We’d never really considered organ donation before,” she said. “I think if you are prepared to take an organ, you should be prepared to give one. I’d encourage everyone to sign the NHS Organ Donor Register.”

Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant said:  

“I’m delighted to hear Lucas is doing so well after his transplant. Organ donation truly is the ultimate gift and for those families who agree to support donation going ahead amidst their grief, it is testament to their bravery and selflessness.

“Transplants can’t happen without donors, So I would encourage everyone who supports organ donation to join the NHS Organ Donor Register and let your families know your decision. It might be a strange conversation to have around the table at Christmas, but it will be the most important one that could potentially mean more people like Lucas get to spend next Christmas with their families.” 

To register your organ donation decision, visit organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 or use the NHS app In England.