Mum 'overcome' by response to kidney donor appeal for son

Ami McLennan has asked for help to find a living donor for her son William, 17

The mother of a teenager at the centre of a legal battle has said she is "overcome with emotion" at the response to her appeal for a donor for her son.

Ami McLennan, 45, from Lancaster, said her autistic son William needs a living kidney donor to save his life.

Several people have come forward following her appeal, her lawyers have said.

Royal Manchester Children's Hospital have argued a transplant is not in the 17-year-old's best interests.

William has kidney disease and is on dialysis and Ms McLennan has appealed to the public for help in finding a donor.

'Uncertain future'

Lawyer Liz Davis said: "Amy and the rest of the family have been overcome with emotion by the response to the appeal and the messages of support they've received.

"While this means a lot to him, William's condition is still extremely serious and he faces a very uncertain future."

William is at the centre of a treatment dispute with Royal Manchester Children's Hospital

William was diagnosed with Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in December 2019.

Ms McLennan said a transplant is William's only chance of survival and without it he would have just 12 months to live.

Lawyers representing the hospital's governing trust, the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, have asked Mrs Justice Arbuthnot to consider the case.

The Trust opposes a transplant for reasons including that William would require sedation and ventilation "for possibly up to six weeks" to ensure he complies with the post-operation interventions because of his autism and the chance of recurrence of the steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome is "high", at about 80%.

Ms McLennan opposes the trust's application and said a transplant was a "feasible option".

A Court of Protection hearing to decide whether William should be added to the transplant list will be heard in the next three weeks.

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