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

If Zachary Bradford does not receive a small bowel and liver transplant within the next few weeks, the tiny two-year-old could die.

That is the reality his parents are living with as they do everything they can to maximise his chances of a donor for not his first transplant, but his second.

Their biggest goal is making it to his third birthday in October.

Zachary was born premature at 28 weeks after his bowel perforated in his mum’s womb. He had a liver transplant when he was 22 months old, but that has failed.

The youngster from Kirkintilloch near Glasgow is gravely sick and his mum, Jade Earaker, has tried everything to improve his odds of an organ match including making a string of heartbreaking videos on TikTok to raise the awareness of child organ donation.

Jade told BBC Scotland News: "We are looking at weeks to months... but more so weeks.

"If Zachary takes another septic hit or another infection we will be looking at possibly losing him.

"Unfortunately time isn't on our side."

She added: " We have tried to make as many memories as possible. We got to Disney this year and are looking to try to get married next month.

"We are trying to live every day as if it's the last."

Zachary was diagnosed with an abdominal wall defect at his mum's 10-week pregnancy scan.

He went on to form his bowel outside of his body. In Zachary's case it ended up perforating at 28 weeks which led to an emergency C-section.

"Zachary went straight to theatre as soon as he was born," said Jade. "So we didn't get to meet him until he was six hours old. He only weighed 1kg (2lbs).

He had to be fed through a central line and he was then diagnosed with intestinal failure and liver failure which put him on the transplant list.

Because Zachary is so small, his donor organs also need to come from a small child.

He is one of 259 children in the UK waiting for an organ transplant - five waiting for more than one organ.

NHS Blood and Transplant say there are 40-50 paediatric organ donors each year, and around 200 children receive organ transplants.

His only hope is the parents of another child agreeing to organ donation - and that means an infant will die before Zachary gets his chance at life.

Rhys Bradford, Zachary's dad, said: "Zachary already had a liver transplant. They were able to use an adult donor.

"But all that is going to save him now is a liver and bowel transplant which unfortunately will have to come from someone Zachary's size.

"We are just hopeful that someone is going to be willing to show us compassion and save Zachary's life."

Anthony Clarkson, from NHS Blood and Transplant, told BBC Scotland News that about half of the families approached to donate organs after their child has died go on to say yes.

But half do not, and he hopes that Zachary's story will spark that conversation.

"Nobody wants to envisage their child dying but it is important that you do consider organ donation - and not really think about it as death, think about it as giving life," he said.

"It brings a lot of the families huge comfort if tragedy was to happen and they were to lose their child, to know their child has gone on to save the life of another."

He added: "We find that for families that have had those discussions and thought about it, it is much easier for them to make a decision at that time when it is really stressful and traumatic and they are feeling such grief."

All the Bradford family can do is wait. And set short targets.

Jade said: "We set a goal, not too far in advance and we reach it.

"We are going to aim for his birthday, aim for the wedding, then aim for Christmas. It's going to happen because he is strong."

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.”