Baby's parents make plea for heart transplant

The parents of an 11-week old baby in need of a heart transplant have urged people to consider organ donation.

William Jones from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was born in May with a condition that affects his heart’s ability to pump blood effectively.

He is currently on life support at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

William's mother, Laura Osborne, 35, said they were relying on a family of another baby to donate, as "William has no future without a heart transplant".

William’s condition is called dilated cardiomyopathy. The disease causes the walls of the heart chambers to stretch and thin, affecting its ability to pump blood around the body.

He is currently the youngest child in the UK on the urgent waiting list for a heart transplant, according to NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT)

A donor would have to be the same size and weight as the 11-week-old.

Angie Scales, the lead nurse for paediatric organ donation at NHSBT, acknowledged that saving William would involve tragedy for another family.

"For William and lots of children waiting for a life-saving transplant, their only hope is the parents of another child agreeing to organ donation at a time of immense sadness and personal grief.

"Losing a child is incredibly tragic and difficult."

However she said it can also offer some consolation.

"Families of young organ donors tell us that knowing their child's donation has saved lives can bring some comfort."

Ms Osborne said: "I've been a registered organ donor for a long time but it hadn't crossed my mind to think of children donating until now.

"William has got a lot stacked against him, I don't know if my baby is going to survive this or not.

"But he is here, you can see the fight in him and we're trying to give him the best life we can.

"We still get smiles and he is playful when he is awake, he is showing us he wants to survive," she said.

William is the first child of Ms Osborne and her partner Stuart Jones, 43.

The couple have been living in hospital accommodation to be close to their baby.

After being delivered by emergency caesarean, William was able to go home at 10 days old.

However, his parents noticed he was very sleepy and struggled to feed, so took him back to hospital three weeks later, where he was diagnosed.

Ms Osborne added that a transplant was the "only option" for her son.

"We really miss him, we had a few weeks at home and he was an absolute delight," she added.

"He's funny and has these little frowns and facial expressions - he is cheeky. We want him back home.

"I can't hold him much and it's heartbreaking. We are terrified, he could deteriorate at any point.

"This is the only option to save his life.

"We could be waiting a year, two, longer, he may not make it to transplant but we're keeping going - he needs a transplant," she said.

According to NHSBT, there are currently more than 7,000 people waiting for an organ transplant in the UK, including 250 children.

Of those, almost 300 need a heart transplant, some 38 of which were children.

Ms Scales said: "We urge parents to think and talk about organ donation for themselves and their family today.

"Your decision could help save lives."

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.