4-year-old Otis will be going to his first-ever British Transplant Games this Summer as part of the Leeds Children’s Transplant Team.

To fundraise ahead of the Games, Otis is taking part in the 100 Days Challenge and hopes to complete 100 laps on his bike!

Otis was born on Christmas Eve 2017. He had jaundice, which was diagnosed as Biliary Atresia, where ducts on the inside and outside of the liver develop abnormally and block bile flow from the liver, causing scarring in the liver.

At just six weeks old, Otis was transferred from his local hospital to Leeds Children’s Hospital for specialist treatment. Here Otis had a ‘Kasai procedure’ an operation to help bile drain from the liver into the gut.

Unfortunately, just one month later Otis’ jaundice came back, and his parents Jon and Danielle were told he needed a liver transplant at just 3-months-old.

Over the next few months, Otis’ condition deteriorated and in November 2018 he was blue lighted to Leeds for life-saving care, before he finally had his transplant, just a few days before his first birthday.

Almost 5 years on from his liver transplant, Otis is thriving and is excited to be part of the British Transplant Games in Leeds this Summer.

His family were inspired to join in the 100 Days Challenge by Matthew Hick, Clinical Nurse Specialist for Asthma who used to work on the Transplant unit and continues to support the Leeds Children’s Transplant Team. Matthew was a Specialist Liver Nurse when Otis was first diagnosed, and also got involved in the 100 Days Challenge with colleagues to cycle 100 miles. Matthew was part of Otis’ journey in hospital, from diagnosis to transplant and provided care and support not only to Otis but also to Danielle and Jon.

Otis’s Dad Jon, who ran 100km between 1st and 31st April to help raise funds, said:

“For the first couple of years of his life, Otis went through an incredibly tough time and then COVID hit, so he hasn’t had the chance to be part of the Leeds Children’s Transplant Team. Otis is now at an age where he is starting to understand a bit more about his transplant, the Games and why he’s fundraising.”

Despite only just learning how to ride a bike, Otis is coming on leaps and bounds and has been completing 1km on his bike each day. Thanks to his fundraising efforts, Otis has now raised £778 to help families like his attend the British Transplant Games this Summer!

 

Donate to Otis's fundraising page