Baby's new liver from Mom is working

Luke Tanner Witt, 15 months, received a life-saving liver transplant donated by his mother, Leah Kent, background, at Rady Children's Hospital. (David Brooks/Union-Tribune)

BY JOHN WILKENS The San Diego Union Tribune

SAN DIEGO — Leah Kent gave life to her son when he was born 15 months ago. Then she did it again, in late July, by donating part of her liver to him.

Mother and son were the happy guests of honor at Rady Children’s Hospital Monday morning for a Thanksgiving week news conference aimed at raising awareness of the need for organ transplants.

Luke was born with a rare metabolic disorder that caused his liver to malfunction. He had several life-threatening episodes, beginning at about 6 months old, He was put on the waiting list for a cadaver organ, but when his condition worsened, doctors looked for a living donor.

Tests showed his mother was a good candidate. In an 11-hour operation, doctors removed part of her liver and transplanted it in her son.

“I was all for it immediately,” Kent said. “Most parents would jump at the chance to do whatever they could.”

Both mother and son, who live in Carmel Valley, are doing well, said to Dr. Ajai Khanna, one of the surgeons. Kent’s liver has re-grown. Luke’s long-term survival and quality of life should be similar to his peers.

Khanna said living-donor operations, once rare, have become more commonplace in the past decade.

He and Kent urged San Diegans to consider giving “the gift of life” to someone through organ donations.

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