Ruth's Liver Transplant Success

Emma Patt with her daughter Ruth, one year after the transplant operation

Before her transplant Ruth Patt, from Duloe near Liskeard, had been suffering from a rare liver disease.

Ruth's operation was a success but her mother, Emma Patt, says they feared she'd die before the transplant.

One year after the operation the family are celebrating its success.

More than 160-thousand people in Cornwall are on the organ donor register, but demand remains high.

Livers filters toxins from the body.

With the exception of the brain, the liver is one of the most complex organs in the body. It has over 500 functions, most of which are essential for sustaining life.

The functions of the liver include regulating cholesterol levels in the body.

The liver is a very tough and resilient organ, and it can endure a high level of damage that would destroy other organs. It is also capable of regenerating itself.

Despite its resilience, if the liver is extensively damaged as a result of illness, infection or alcohol misuse, it will become scarred. Scarring of the liver is known as cirrhosis.

Cornish youngster Ruth Patt is now enjoying life after her operation

Once cirrhosis reaches a certain level, the liver gradually loses all its functions. This is known as end-stage liver disease. A liver transplant is the only cure for end-stage liver disease.

Every year, an estimated 600 liver transplants are carried out in the UK. However, the number of people who need a liver transplant is much higher than the number of livers donated.

Consequently, deaths from liver disease remain high. In 2007, there were more than 13,000 deaths from liver disease in England and Wales.