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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Kaitlin Easton

Mum of Scots baby on transplant list heartbroken as he needs baby liver donor

The parents of a tiny Scots baby on the transplant list are hopeful he will receive a new liver after five unsuccessful matches.

Zachary Logan Bradford who has liver and intestinal failure, desperately needs a double transplant to survive. The youngster was born prematurely weighing just 2lbs 13oz with his bowel growing outside his body after mum Jade Earaker was rushed in for emergency surgery at 28 weeks pregnant in 2021.

The 'wee superhero' has already undergone five major operations but due to the complexities of his condition his donor needs to be a baby close to his size of 6kg.

Jade, 22, from East Kilbride said: "When I was pregnant we found out Zachary had gastroschisis which is quite common. His bowel was growing outside of his body and usually they find it simple to fix but his bowel ended up perforating and I was taken for surgery.

"Unfortunately his bowel was too damaged to save and they had to remove most of it.

"Zachary became the youngest ever survivor of bowel surgery. Our boy has superhero level resilience.

Little Zachary was born prematurely (Supplied)
Zachary's bowel perforated in the womb (Supplied)

"We are faced with a terrifying process. The organ donor must be a size match and there is currently no option for living donation.

"It has broken out hearts because Zachary is only 6kg therefore his donor would need to be a baby.

"Small bowel transplants are uncommon and average life expectancy for successful transplants only range between 5-10 years."

Little warrior Zachary spent three months in the Neonatal Unit at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow where he had major operations to fit a stoma, a PEG procedure to fit a feeding tube, PDA Ligation heart surgery and a step procedure to lengthen his bowel.

The little fighter has only spent two weeks at home since he was born.

Zachary has already had five major surgeries (Supplied)
Mum Jade, Zachary and dad Rhys (Supplied)

Jade continued: ""It has been really tough but you keep going for the sake of your kids.

"He is such a wee fighter and the happiest baby ever. He will go in for surgery and still come back smiling.

"He has a bubbly wee personality and has got all the nurses on the ward smitten."

In January 2022 he was diagnosed with liver and intestinal failure - the result of damage caused by long term IV feeds.

Zachary was then placed on the double transplant list for a bowel and liver transplant following organ assessments at the King's College Hospital in London.

Zachary with his mum and dad when he was in the NICU (Supplied)

Since then, his liver condition has rapidly deteriorated and he has been placed on the liver transplant list only.

On National Organ Donor Day, Jade and partner Rhys, 27, hope they can raise awareness of how important organ donation is.

'Superhero' Zachary needs a double transplant (Supplied)
Zachary and his baby brother Reuben (Supplied)

Jade added: "Zachary has had five unsuccessful potential liver matches. It has absolutely shattered our hearts to find all three donors were too big for him, but we still have to cling onto all hope the perfect one will come up soon.

"I'd really like to raise awareness of organ donation and hope people realise how much of an impact it has. One person can save eight lives."

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