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Mum wins appeal for son to have kidney transplant that specialists said wasn’t in his ‘best interests’
Medics were concerned that a transplant wouldn’t work and that William’s autism would delay his recovery
A mum has shared her joy after winning an appeal to get her son a potentially life-saving kidney transplant after specialists questioned whether it was in his ‘best interests’.
Seventeen-year-old William Verden has a rare kidney disease called steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome, which means his kidneys function at just 5%.
Because of the disease, William has been a patient at Manchester Children’s Hospital since November 2019 and needs dialysis at least four times a week.
Without a new kidney, William’s doctors say he may only have around twelve months to live.
Ami Mclennan / Facebook
However, medical professionals also expressed their concerns over the effectiveness of a kidney transplant, with some arguing the chance of disease recurrence from a transplant would be near to 100%.
They also opposed a transplant as a result of William’s autism and ADHD, factors medics believe would cause psychological and physical harm with post-operation sedation and ventilation.
Because William’s mum Ami McLennan disagreed with the medics, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust brought the case to ask a judge to rule on the matter.
And yesterday, March 8th, a court in Liverpool concluded that William would be able to get a kidney transplant. He is now on the waiting list for a donor.
Mrs. Justice Arbuthnot ruled that a transplant would in fact be in William’s best interests, saying as per ITV News: “Transplant is not futile.
Ami Mclennan / Facebook
“Although the chances of that lead to an increase in William’s suffering in the short and medium term, it has the commensurate benefit which is there is a chance for William of long-term survival.”
Williams mum Ami has since expresse her joy on the ruling, saying: “All we have wanted was for him to be added to the transplant list and his treatment to be continued until a donor is found. I feel it’s the minimum he deserves and what any mum would do for their child.
“As a family we still struggle to comprehend why William’s case has gotten to this stage but this judgment is about trying to look to the future.
“What’s happened is in the past and we now need to focus on trying to find the crucial donor who can provide William with the best chance in life.
“We continue to be amazed by how many people have been touched by William’s story and remain ever so thankful to those who have expressed a wish to potentially become a donor or who have contacted us with messages of support.”