A newborn baby who was alive for less than two hours became Britain's youngest-ever organ donor after pioneering surgery that saved the life of an adult.
Doctors in Cardiff removed the kidneys and heart valves from the body of tiny Teddy Houlston minutes after he died, and the organs were used to save an adult's life in Leeds.
"He lived and died a hero," father Mike Houlston told the Daily Mirror. "It's impossible to explain how proud we are of him."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Dr Paul Murphy from NHS blood and Transplant described the transplant as a "milestone moment", as it is incredibly rare for babies to be considered as donors. "Every donation is inspirational. It is a selfless act of heroism. But Teddy's story is exceptional," he said.
Teddy suffered from anencephaly, a rare and lethal birth defect which prevents the brain and skull from forming properly in the womb. Mother Jess Evans was carrying twins when she was told that one of the babies would either be still born or die shortly after birth.
Doctors offered the couple the chance to abort, but they refused. "We thought that even if we had a moment with him, or ten minutes, or an hour, that time was the most precious thing that we would ever experience," said Evans.
As the pregnancy progressed, the couple decided that they wanted to donate their baby's organs to save another life. "Organ donation was something I've always felt quite strongly about ever since I was a child," said his mother.
The twins were born in April last year. Teddy survived for just 100 minutes. His life was "an hour-and-a-half of pure joy", said nurse Angharad Griffiths, who took part in the transplant. She said that although the operation was challenging, she had "every belief" that a similar transplant could be successfully carried out in the future, the BBC reports.
His mother said she hoped that their story would inspire parents facing a similar situation. "Knowing part of your loved one is living on in someone else is comforting," she said.
The couple also encouraged people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register, and are raising money for the charity 2 Wish Upon A Star, which provides services for bereaved parents.
Teddy's healthy twin brother, Noah, celebrated his first birthday this week.
