A TODDLER who had life saving surgery after suffering an acute liver failure has celebrated a double medal haul at the British Transplant Games.
Luca Biagetti, of Trinity Gardens, Frodsham, contracted a mystery virus which turned the bouncing two-year-old’s life upside down, leaving him in a coma and hours from death.
Thanks to the worldwide organ donation network Luca’s life was saved when after an eight hour operation – which he was given a one in 10 chance of surviving – he received a new liver. Although he will take medication for the rest of his life, ‘lucky’ Luca, now aged three, is back in nursery and living a normal life.
“It was scary,” said Luca’s father Nick Biagetti, 39, an environmental consultant.
“It happened very suddenly, it wasn’t something he was born with and there’s no family history of it, we believe it was probably a new virus that was in the community.
“He went in to a coma because of the toxins and it was touch and go whether he would survive.
“It was a bit freaky, at the same time our second son was being born at the Countess of Chester hospital I was carrying Luca in.
“You want to be happy with a new born baby but we couldn’t celebrate it, it was all a bit surreal.”
After a few days, Luca continued to deteriorate and he was transferred by ambulance to a specialist liver unit in Birmingham.
Nick said: “Seeing him deteriorate physically was the worst part.
“ It got to the point where he couldn’t accept the antibiotics to stabilise him and he ended up in a coma in intensive care. They put him straight to the top of the transplant list but they couldn’t find one in the UK, they gave him 24 hours otherwise that would be it.
“They found one in Italy, from the same area of Tuscany that my dad’s from.
“The donor was a six-month-old baby boy who had died, he helped my son live.
“The surgeon flew out on the Saturday night at about 10pm in a private jet and returned with the liver while Luca was being prepped in intensive care.
“The operation took place the following morning at about 6am.
“This was last May, although it feels like years ago now.
“He will be on medication for life, it was a nightmare to begin with, it was 10 medicines three or four times a day.
“Now he takes them every morning and night, as time goes on it gets easier.
“If we knew what we went through beforehand we couldn’t have done it but at the time I think you just get on with it.”
Battling Luca began to recover and was given the all clear at an annual check up this summer.
In August he competed at the British Transplant Games in Bath – an annual games for people of all ages who have received a major organ – in the 25 metre sprint and the ball throw supported by Nick, mum Sarah, 35, and brother Daniel, aged one.
“He won silver in the ball throw and bronze in the sprint, it was great with the whole family there,” said Nick.
“It was one of the best days of my life to see him standing on the podium and collecting the medals.”
Reflecting on Luca’s ordeal he added: “Luca was very lucky, they got him just in time, but there are a huge amount of people that die every year.
“A day or two more and it might have been a different story.
“What happened to Luca could happen to me or you, it’s about raising awareness, I’ve signed up to the register myself and it only takes a couple of minutes.
“You can’t force people in to it, but without organ donations Luca would not be around.”
For more information on the organ donation register and how you can sign up, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk.
