Boy who got E.coli on family walk is saved by new kidney from Mum
Leo, 8, battled killer bug caught in the countryside
AN eight-year-old boy who contracted E.coli on a countryside family walk has received a lifesaving transplant with a kidney donated by his mother.
Leo McFaulds is now recovering from a rare life-threatening disease and the kidney surgery after his mother Louise was found to be a match.
Leo and his brother Samuel, four, from Elgin, Moray, were struck down by the bug in May last year after a walk in the Highlands.
The infection, which can be found in the environment, caused both boys to develop haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) – an illness which affects the blood and blood vessels, resulting in anaemia and kidney failure.
The brothers became so ill they were transferred for kidney dialysis to the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) in Glasgow.
While Samuel made a full recovery, Leo was in hospital for more than two months before being moved onto kidney dialysis three times a week in August, with parents Louise, 40, a primary teacher, and sales engineer Anthony, 46, moving to Glasgow temporarily.
Fortunately, Mrs McFaulds was quickly identified as a potential match for Leo and the operation was carried out on February 10.
It marked the twelfth paediatric renal transplant in the past 12 months at the RHC. The service has continued throughout the pandemic thanks to strict protocols allowing operations to go ahead at pre-Covid levels.
For the McFaulds family, the successful surgery has come as a huge relief – Leo is back on his feet and full of energy, with his mother also making a strong recovery.
Mrs McFaulds said: ‘To have both boys struck down with the same illness and both having lifesaving treatment at the same time was harrowing. It was an awful time for our family as it came on so suddenly. Thankfully, Samuel recovered relatively quickly, but Leo went from being a typical happy, healthy boy, who played in the garden with his brother, to being completely hospital-bound and unable to fully engage with normal life.
‘But his bravery and optimism through this has been inspiring.’
A living kidney donation, where the organ comes from a family member, means the patient does not have to wait on the transplant waiting list for a deceased donor.
A healthy person can lead a normal life with only one functioning kidney. When she found out she was a potential match for her son, Mrs McFaulds did not hesitate.
She said: ‘I was naturally over the moon. We know the NHS has been under enormous pressure because of Covid-19 but never once did we feel Leo’s care had been compromised in any way, and I think that’s testament to the professionalism of staff at the RHC.’
E.coli can be transferred from the dung of infected cattle and sheep into the countryside environment, such as fields or lakes.
HUS is a complication of the infection where the disease damages the red blood cells and kidney filtration system, so the kidneys stop working.
Leo is already looking forward to going back to school and, although he will face challenges in the future, his mother is optimistic. Mrs McFaulds said: ‘Leo will always have kidney disease, and Samuel and myself will have follow-up for some time to come.
‘We know there will be bumps in the road ahead, but to look back six months, to compare where we are now, it’s a miracle really.
‘Leo now has his life back and we’ll be counting the small milestones – going back to school, going swimming and maybe even a holiday – as victories.
‘We’ll never take any of these happy family moments for granted in future.’
Dr Ben Reynolds, consultant paediatric nephrologist at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, who leads the transplant service, said: ‘It is fantastic to see Leo recovering well and full of energy again.’
‘Bravery and optimism’