Deegan’s Liver Transplant
The day had come, one that we had all wished for and also were scared to hell about as we knew what was going to happen to our little boy. The staff at the hospital were fantastic in providing us with the information about the transplant process, but it can never stop the feeling you have of joy, happiness, anxiety, scared, terrified, and thankful that Deegs has been given this gift all mixed together.
Deegan was official put on the transplant list as of Monday 2 December 2013.
Two weeks later on 15 December 2013 we received a call that a donor liver had become available and Deegs was to go to the hospital so the staff could prepare him. After a long wait the surgeon made the decision that the donors liver was not a full compatible match and that the transplant operation was cancelled for Deegan.

One week later to the day on the 22 December 2013 we received another call from the hospital, another donor liver had become available.  Deegan was to go to the hospital and be prepared for the operation. Everything was a match and the operation went ahead.

23 December 2013
The transplant started at 10.20am and the staff at the Royal Brisbane Children’s Hospital were fantastic in providing us with regular updates. At 3.15pm we were told the operation had finished and Deegan was doing well.

We waited anxiously in the Intensive Care Unit for our little boy to arrive. Around 4.30 we finally got to see him. He had so many tubes and lines in him; it was a bit overwhelming and scary. The staff removed his breathing tube at midnight as Deegs was breathing by himself and against the machine.

At 4pm on Tuesday the 24 December 2013 Deegs was moved to the HDU (High Dependency Unit)
Deegan spent Christmas and Boxing Day in HDU.

On the 27 December 2013 Deegs was moved to the Surf Ward. During his time here he continued to get stronger and was slowly getting tubes and lines removed.

On Wednesday 1 January 2014 Deegan was given a day pass to leave the hospital and go home for the day. So we had Christmas Day with Deegs, he got to open his Christmas presents and spend the day at home with his family.
 The next day on Thursday 2 January 2014 Deegs was given a day and night pass to go home and sleep the night in his own bed.

On Friday 3 January 2014 Deegan was and discharged from hospital, 12 days after a major operation, a Liver Transplant.

Deegan going forward at the moment has weekly blood test to check his Tacro (anti-rejection medication) levels and also has a weekly visit to the liver clinic to see the surgeons.

Deegan is currently on 7 different medications. Some of these are taken twice a day. It has been a challenge getting him to take so many meds, but he is slowly getting into a routine. Deegan will be on the Tacro for the rest of his life.

Some of the lifestyle changes that we will be adjusting to are:
Deegan cannot play contact sport, he can never be immunised for live vaccines(Measles, Mumps etc.) as his immune system will never be as strong as it was before. He cannot have ibuprofen (nurofen) as it affects his Tacro medication levels. He cannot attend a child care centre. They also advised us not to visit third world countries. These are just a few changes we have to adjust to but to have our little boy here makes them incidental. Deegs will also require regular tests to ensure no cancer cells are growing in his body. 
It has been a month since Deegan’s Liver Transplant and he is recovering exceptionally well and we cannot express our thanks and gratitude enough to the donor’s family for giving our little boy this gift.
We would like to thank everyone for their ongoing support via this website and through other fundraising back home in Darwin.
I will keep updating this site as Deegs progress.