A nine-year-old Irish boy who underwent a liver transplant four months ago is now battling cancer, with his mother claiming he now “needs a miracle”.
Charlie Lynch has amazed doctors in London with how well he is recovering after surgery in March.
He is now back at the same hospital where his transplant took place, on life support as he awaits chemotherapy to treat his rare cancer.
His mother, Helen, asked that prayers be said for him at his bedside at King's College Hospital.
This is in stark contrast to the patient who was moved from the intensive care unit to a general ward within three days of the transplant and whose condition rapidly improved.
Charlie was also doing fine at home but then he started retaining fluid.
Helen was admitted back to hospital at the end of May, just as family and friends were planning celebrations for him, including one in Helen's hometown of Tullamore, County Offaly.
Charlie and his mother had been living in the UK while waiting for a liver transplant, and speaking from a London hospital, his mother said: “The more people that pray for Charlie now, the better.”
She confirmed that Charlie's lead consultant had told her: “It's every mother's worst nightmare. Charlie has a rare form of cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma. The cancer is attacking his organs.”
He is on dialysis because his kidneys and lungs are not functioning.
She was also told that he was infected with the “HPV8 virus,” which he had contracted in the community some time after the transplant when his immune system was weakened.
“He is totally dependent on life support,” she said.
He is now about to start chemotherapy and Helen said: “He is so frail and weak that there is a risk he may die during his treatment.”
“We need a miracle,” she said, urging people to pray for him.
