Parents’ transplant plea: ‘One more infection and we could lose our boy’

Zachary’s parents say they are constantly amazed at how he copes.

Mum Jade said: “Zachary is so used to being unwell that this is his normal. He is so used to being uncomfortable, he has been through over 30 surgeries, he deserves to live a normal childhood, be out in the garden playing in the mud, not living in a hospital bed for two-and-a-half years.”

If the family gets the call, all that could change.

Rhys has seen success for others in hospital.

“We have seen kids who have been similar to Zachary, so close to potentially losing their life, receiving that call, and never looking back, living normal lives, going to school. It is what we are praying we get for Zachary because he deserves it.

“If we could just convince one person who hadn’t thought about it before to have that discussion with their family and let them know their feelings on organ donation, then further down the line it could benefit someone in the same situation as Zachary.”

He put the situation bluntly: “Zachary needs this within the next couple of months or we will start to lose him.”

The Scottish government’s public health minister, Jenni Minto, said Zachary proved the case for increasing the numbers of organ donors across Scotland.

She said: “Later this month as Organ and Tissue Donation Week gets under way, people across Scotland will be encouraged to make their donation decision known and share it with family and friends.

“This conversation plays a vital part in making it easier for loved ones to support organ donation decisions should the worst happen. While this is particularly important for adults, we also encourage children to start learning about organ donation.”