Gary Jackson was 47 years old when he received news that would change his entire body.
His 6-year-old son, Harry, had intestinal malrotation, an anomaly that also caused him to develop serious liver disease after years of intravenous feeding. Gary was 98% compatible with Harry. But to donate part of his liver and small intestine to him, doctors at King’s College Hospital in London set him a condition: he had to lose about 38 kilos (84 pounds) and give up alcohol completely. He did.
In January 2025, father and son underwent a 17-hour surgery together. It is one of only about ten transplants of this kind recorded worldwide, and the second performed in the United Kingdom. Gary took six weeks to recover. Today, he says it was the greatest privilege of his life, and that he would do it again without hesitation.
