“He lived and died a hero! It’s impossible to explain how proud we are of him”
That is what the father of the world’s youngest donor has to say about his son who may have crossed over to heaven soon after he was born, but he ended up saving a precious life in return! Now isn’t that heroism in such a short span of someone’s life?
Teddy Houlston, the new born baby lived for barely 100 minutes before he passed away. But, in the process he ended up saving an adult’s life who was suffering from massive renal failure.
Details
Teddy or ‘Baby Teddy’ as everyone lovably remembers him, lived a short life, but a worthwhile one. He has now been adjudged as UK’s youngest-ever vital organ donor at just 100 minutes (1 and a half hour old!) Official confirmation for the world record is under scrutiny, but most experts believe he indeed was the youngest ever hero!
Teddy’s kidneys and heart valves were immediately donated within a few minutes to a person who needed immediate renal surgery and reconstruction.
His father Mike Houlston who hails from Cardiff, Wales, is immensely proud of what his son managed to do. He may not have been able to spend eternity with his son, but is proud to be known as Baby Teddy’s father – ‘The Hero of the UK’.
Unfortunately, Baby Teddy’s demise happened last year on April 22 in 2014, but, the news of the miracle he managed to do in the process has resurfaced now. Apparently, the news was not made public to allow the grieving family some solitude during remembrance and prayers for the departed soul.
Paul Murphy from the department of National Health Service Blood and Transplant of the UK, tells the media that “Every donation is inspirational! It is a selfless act of heroism.”
Twin Brother Survives!
Jess Evans, the mother of Teddy was 12 weeks’ pregnant with her twins when doctors had warned her that one her the sons had a rare and fatal condition which prevents the human brain and its skull from developing and that the child might die shortly after birth or will be a stillborn.
Teddy, who was a twin, had anencephaly, a condition in which he was born without critical parts of the brain and skull tissue. Miraculously, his brother, Noah is a healthy child and survives!
Donation Decision
Ms. Evans and her fiance and now husband, Mike Houlston had made up their mind before their children were born, that they will make their life worthwhile and decided to allow his fully functional kidneys and heart valves to be donated to a needy patient so that the lives of others can be saved.
Previous Record Holder
A six-day-old baby girl belonging to London held the record in 2014 when her sudden death led to the donation of her kidneys and liver cells to two different people.
We hope this story inspires you too, especially if you belong to a country like India, where organ donation is still either a taboo or misunderstood. Think about it, you or your loved ones can save someone else’s life while they leave for their heavenly abode.
Consider organ donation today!
