Toddler Undergoes Successful Liver Transplant After Cancer Diagnosis In Summer

A one-year-old boy has undergone a successful liver transplant operation after being diagnosed with liver cancer six months ago.

Caleb Orthman, who weighed just 1.1 lbs after being born via an emergency C-section in October 2020, underwent the transplant operation on Monday morning (27th December).

In August, the tot, born at 27 weeks and hospitalised ever since, was diagnosed with liver cancer, and over 200 people applied to be a possible donor.

Caleb Orthman who was born in October 2020 with emergency C-section, received liver transplant. (Tamara Orthman/Newsflash)

On Sunday, doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital in the US state of Massachusetts called the boy’s mother Tamara Orthman to inform her that they had a living donor available for the full liver transplant.

Tamara said: “I was excited. I was emotional. The doctor on the phone said ‘that’s pretty normal’, I was like ‘I don’t know what to say right now.’ Just excited, very excited.”

However, things nearly took a turn for the worse in August when doctors found several masses on the boy’s liver.

Caleb Orthman who received liver transplant, in a photo with his mother Tamara Orthman. (Tamara Orthman/Newsflash)

Tamara said: “When they did the ultrasound, they said they found something unexpected. I’m not going to be able to say it, but they found three masses in his liver.”

At just 10 months of age, the brave youngster started chemotherapy and the mission to find a suitable donor got underway.

Before the operation, the mother said that the recovery period “will be a process in itself, and he won’t be able to be more than two hours away from the hospital for the first six months after he has the transplant”.

Caleb Orthman who was born in October 2020 with emergency C-section, received liver transplant. (GoFundMe, Lindsy Certo/Newsflash)

Tamara’s friends launched a GoFundMe campaign to help her with the medical costs and other expenses.

As of 29th December, the crowdfunding campaign has reached nearly USD 13,000 of its USD-15,000 target.