The family of a Lancaster teenager are "overjoyed" after a judge ruled he should be allowed to receive a potentially life-saving kidney transplant.
William Verden, 17, has a rare kidney disease and is being kept alive through dialysis.
A hospital trust had argued that a transplant would not be in the best interests of William, who has ADHD (Attention Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder) and learning difficulties, due to "a range of complex issues".
But a judge in the Court of Protection has today ruled that a transplant would be in William’s best interests.
“We adore William and all we want is for him to live the best life he can," said William's mum, Ami Mclennan.
"At present I firmly believe that this won’t be possible unless he can receive the care he desperately needs and deserves.
“Bringing a legal case isn’t something we ever wanted or thought we would need to do, however, William’s situation is critical and could mean the difference between life and death.
“All we have wanted was for him to be added to the transplant list and his treatment to be continued until a donor is found. I feel it’s the minimum he deserves and what any mum would do for their child.
“As a family we still struggle to comprehend why William’s case has got to this stage but this judgment is about trying to look to the future. What’s happened is in the past and we now need to focus on trying to find the crucial donor who can provide William with the best chance in life.
“We continue to be amazed by how many people have been touched by William’s story and remain ever so thankful to those who have expressed a wish to potentially become a donor or who have contacted us with messages of support.”
Liz Davis, from Irwin Mitchell solicitors who represented Ami, said: “Naturally as a parent all Ami wants is to offer her son the best chance in life; she strongly believes a transplant will give William this.
“This is an incredibly sensitive case which has prompted a really important discussion not only about William’s care but also about the wider issue of providing medical treatment to people with autism and learning disabilities.
“While the last few days and listening to the evidence has been tough for Ami and the rest of the family it was something they felt they had to do to try and safeguard William’s future.
“Strong legal arguments were put forward as to what is in William’s best interests.
“We’re pleased that the judge has ruled in William’s favour and understandably Ami and the family are overjoyed.
“We’ll continue to support Ami at this emotional time as the family now turn their attention to trying to find a suitable donor for William.”
Kidneys are the most commonly donated organs by living people. With around a third of all kidney transplants in the UK resulting from living donors, say NHS Blood and Transplant. Around 1,100 such operations are performed in the UK a year with a high success rate.
Donating a kidney to someone who is neither a relative nor a friend is known as directed altruistic donation. Prospective donors will need to undergo medical tests before a decision on whether they are a suitable donor is made.
More information can be found on the NHS Blood and Transplant website.
If you still want to proceed after following the steps on the page, select North West region and then the Manchester Royal Infirmary email address. Please mention William’s name when sending an email.
Read more about William's story here.
Ms Toli Onon, Joint Group Medical Director for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said: “We welcome the clarity which this decision brings for William, his family and our clinicians.
‘’The Trust asked the Court of Protection to make today’s judgment because of how unusual, complex and risky the situation is.
‘’William has a rare condition affecting his kidneys, and each treatment option had its own risks to his health and wellbeing.
‘’That’s why we asked the Court to make this difficult decision, and why the judge noted that she respected our approach to establishing what’s best for William.
‘’William, his family and our staff have all worked really hard together to support his dialysis; and we will now be liaising with William and his family regarding how best to progress his treatment.”
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