Hong Kong baby no longer needs liver donation after making recovery
- Hayson was rushed to Queen Mary Hospital earlier this month and diagnosed with acute liver failure
- After the family made a public appeal for donors, a number of residents stepped forward, but his improving condition means he no longer needs an organ transfer
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A one-year-old boy in Hong Kong who suffered from acute liver failure no longer required an organ donation and was likely to be discharged this weekend, his mother said on Friday.
The child, Hayson, awoke from a coma on Thursday last week and was transferred on Tuesday from intensive care at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam to its paediatric ward. Doctors informed the mother Hayson did not need a new liver to survive.
His liver function index, used to measure the health of the organ, surpassed 10,000 at one point, but has since dropped to slightly more than 100. The normal range is around 40.
The mother, who did not want to be named, noted that although doctors still did not know why her son suddenly fell ill, she believed he would be out of the hospital soon.
“If the doctors still can’t find the cause of his sickness, but his recovery stays on track, then they’ll discharge him very shortly anyway,” she said. “The hospital didn’t give an exact date, but it will probably be in these few days or within this week if nothing goes wrong.”
Why aren’t there more organ donations in Hong Kong?
Hayson developed a fever earlier this month and his parents took him to see a private doctor, but the boy was incorrectly diagnosed with a mild rash and prescribed medication to bring down his temperature.
He threw up after taking it and his parents brought him to St Teresa’s Hospital in Mong Kok on July 4, where he was diagnosed with acute liver failure.
Hayson’s condition rapidly deteriorated and he fell into a coma. He was transferred to Queen Mary Hospital later that night, while his mother put out a public call for liver donors.
“[My son] has never fallen ill before, and he is such a bright and lively kid,” said the mother, who has fatty liver disease, disqualifying her from being a donor. “He loves to smile.”
She told the Post that over the past week, “a great number of people” came forward to volunteer to donate their livers. Six candidates went through the necessary medical tests to see whether they were a suitable match but none passed.
“I thank so many Hongkongers … they are really passionate and united. I can feel their warmth,” she said, recounting the large number of people who sent her well-wishes.
“Hayson is a very fortunate baby,” she said. “He must bring his smile back to those who were once worried about him.”
