This article was updated on the 6th of December 2024
Four-Year-Old Ethan Needs a Life-Saving Kidney Donation
This Christmas, as we clear space for new gifts and embrace the spirit of giving, imagine giving the most precious gift of all—the gift of life. Four-year-old Ethan dreams not of toys but of a future filled with laughter and play, free from the constant battle his little body faces each day. A new kidney would be the ultimate Christmas miracle for Ethan, a gift that would bring hope, health, and a lifetime of possibilities.
Could you be the one to make room in your heart—and spare a kidney—for Ethan this holiday season?
Ethan’s journey has been marked by extraordinary challenges and resilience. At 20 weeks’ gestation, an obstruction in his urinary tract threatened his life, affecting his kidneys and potentially his lungs. To give him a fighting chance, doctors performed a
delicate fetal surgery at 21 weeks. Against all odds, Ethan was born on 13th May 2020, kicking and screaming, defying the bleak expectations set before his birth.
Following his birth, Ethan spent five weeks at Great Ormond Street Hospital, much of it in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). During this time, he was diagnosed with a rare condition called prune belly syndrome, which affects only 1 in 40,000 babies and has no known cause. This condition has led to chronic kidney disease, leaving Ethan with only one working kidney that now functions at just 8% capacity, he is now reliant on PD Dialysis for 12 hours every night Ethan is a joyful little boy who loves reading, music, trains, and adventures down fast slides. He started primary school in September, a milestone that seemed distant in those early, uncertain days. However, his future now depends on finding a kidney donor.
Ethan has been on the deceased donor waiting list for 2 years, his mother is
Nigerian, and his father is of English and Scottish heritage. As a child of mixed heritage, with blood type O, the wait for a suitable match could be longer than average. Recently, Great Ormond Street Hospital expanded the criteria for the
deceased donor pool, but time is of the essence. Despite extensive testing, neither Ethan’s parents, Alasdair and Rachel, nor any of their family members or friends have been suitable candidates to donate a kidney.
Alasdair and Rachel are making an urgent plea to the community:
“We are putting the word out there to see if anyone would be willing to test as a living kidney donor. This would be a life-changing gift for our son, Ethan, who has chronic kidney disease. As his parents, we were both the best option to provide Ethan with a kidney. Sadly, due to health issues, we were not able to do so. We are now facing the fact that Ethan will need to go on dialysis soon as his one functioning kidney is now failing, please do consider signing up as a living kidney donor and changing Ethan’s life.”
The family, now including Ethan’s younger brother Theo, enjoy spending time together at the beach, exploring the countryside, and engaging in activities like forest school and science experiments. They are determined to find a donor who can give Ethan the chance to grow up and continue enjoying life’s simple pleasures.
Ethan's father sends out an appeal on father's day to try get his son a Kidney...
There is hope in every share - you can share Ethan's story on...
