London, April 23 (IANS/EFE) British media outlets on Thursday commemorated the one-year anniversary of a newborn baby afflicted with a rare, fatal disease who went on to become the youngest organ donor in the country.
Young Teddy Houlston from Wales, who passed away on April 22, 2014, after being alive for only 100 minutes, had his kidneys donated to a patient in Leeds in northern England.
Evans and Mike Houlston were expecting twins when, 12 weeks into the pregnancy, doctors found that one foetus suffered a rare disease that prevented the brain and skull from developing properly.
Despite the diagnosis, the parents decided to carry the twin-pregnancy to term, knowing well that the foetus would either not survive the birth or would die shortly after.
By allowing Teddy to be born, both his kidneys and heart valves were donated to others in need.
"He lived and died a hero. It's impossible to explain how proud we are of him," the child's father, Mike Houlston, told the Daily Mirror.
Doctors at the University Hospital of Wales performed the transplant surgery minutes after Teddy passed away.
"We hope Teddy's story will inspire families who find themselves in the position of losing a child," Teddy's mother said.
Paul Murphy from the department of blood and transplant in the National Health Service said it is unusual for babies to be donors, so Teddy's story is "exceptional".
--IANS/EFE
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