Like most parents, Sohrab Mirza and Cathie Locke would give anything to help their daughter.
Diagnosed with liver failure at seven months old, Jasmine Mirza has spent more than a quarter of her short life in hospital, but thanks to her parents’ sacrifices she has now started school.
The brave little girl recently received a kidney from her mom and a portion of liver from her father, making her the first child in Britain to receive organ transplants from both parents.
Mr Mirza, opted to give his daughter part of his liver rather than wait for a donor organ to become available.
She was given around 30 per cent of his in an operation at King’s College Hospital in London. The liver tissue will grow with her, while his liver has regenerated.
Jasmine required daily doses of drugs, but her condition began to improve.
‘It was amazing to be offered the opportunity and then to do it and see her so well,’ said Mr Mirza yesterday.
However, last year the family, was hit by a new blow – Jasmine’s kidneys had begun to fail.
It appeared they had been affected by the drugs Jasmine was taking to prevent her body rejecting her father’s liver.
The prospect of having to wait months, or possibly years, for a suitable organ to be donated led her husband to put himself forward again as a candidate to donate an organ.
But after tests, doctors told him that his kidneys were not suitable. His wife then stepped forward and was accepted as a potential donor.
Jasmine was able to return to North Farnborough Infant School in January.
The only sign of her illness now is a feeding tube through her nose, which her parents hope can be removed shortly.
Doctors treating her say they have never come across a case of a child receiving ‘living’ organ donations from both parents.
The NHS Blood and Transplant agency said it was ‘very, very rare’ for anyone to receive transplants from their mother and father. The couple said Jasmine’s treatment had been excellent throughout but said their experience underlined the importance of registering as an organ donor.
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