Ghanaian boy given life-saving op

Felix Yeboah's father Michael will donate the kidney on Sunday

A 14-year-old Ghanaian boy has received a kidney transplant after being sponsored by a charity.

Felix Yeboah received a kidney from his father Michael in an operation at University Hospital Birmingham.

His treatment has been funded by Transplant Links. Surgeons and nurses are offering their time for free to keep down the charity's costs.

The operation took place on Sunday when the operating theatre is normally closed.

Transplant Links, set up by a group of British doctors in 2006, aims to save lives in developing countries through kidney transplantation.

I want this operation so I can play football again and go to school so I can train to become a doctor and help other people Felix Yeboah

Doctors became aware of Felix's case after visiting Ghana in a bid to improve kidney treatment in the country.

The West African state currently has a high death rate from kidney disease.

Felix said: "The things I enjoy most are school and football, but I cannot do them because I become out of breath.

"I want this operation so I can play football again and go to school so I can train to become a doctor and help other people."

'Found us'

University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said it hoped Felix would be in hospital for about a week.

Transplant surgeon Andrew Ready, who will lead the surgical team on Sunday saw Felix speak at the launch of the National Kidney Foundation in Ghana earlier this year.

Mr Ready said: "Felix emerged from the crowd and came up to the podium to speak. He was so small he had to be held up to be seen.

He added: "There are ethical issues around selecting people to help in these circumstances but we were so taken by Felix's speech that we thought we must try to do something. It was as if he had found us rather than we had found him."