Portsmouth mother urges parents to put children on organ donor register

Jude, now 13, was born prematurely and had five major organ transplants when he was eight years old

A mother is urging parents to consider putting their children on the organ donor register.

Kellie, from Portsmouth, said it could save hundreds of young people in need of a transplant, like her son.

Jude, 13, had a multiple organ transplant five years ago but developed complications earlier this year.

He is now one of more than 230 children currently waiting for transplants across England, according to the NHS Blood and Transplant Service.

Jude had to wait more than two years for his last organ donations in 2018

Jude, who was born prematurely, waited 865 days for his last operation in 2018.

He had transplants for five major organs - his stomach, liver, pancreas, small and large intestine.

But complications from the surgery mean he is now being fed through a tube in his heart, while he waits for a new stomach, pancreas, and bowels.

His mum Kellie said: "On first glance, Jude looks like a normal little boy, but when you lift up his top there's a complete story hidden under there.

"He has a central line into his heart which is giving the nutrients that he needs, it also gives him IV fluids along with a lot of medication and also a couple of stomas."

Jude's mum, Kellie, is urging parents to consider putting their children on the organ donor register

In England adults have to opt out of donating their organs, but children have to be opted in by their parents.

It is something Kellie wishes she'd known about 17 years ago, when her five-month-old son Leo died of a brain injury he was born with.

She said: "I would have said yes [to donating Leo's organs]. Unfortunately sometimes really sad things happen, but somebody else can benefit and it's just about understanding what your thoughts and feelings would be moving on."

Jude says he "can't live a normal life" at the moment as he is struggling with complications from his last operation

The NHS Blood and Transplant Service confirmed there were 41 child organ donations in the last year.

Specialist nurse George Brann-Liff said: "A small percentage of children go on to donate their organs in their death so it is really important, no matter how old the child is, to discuss organ donation with them and for parents to see what they would want to do."

Jude, who loves football and musical theatre, says he currently "can't live a normal life" as he is being visited by specialist nurses up to five times a week.

Kellie said her whole family is now "desperate" for him to get what he needs, adding: "So he can just have a childhood, because he's been robbed of that."