Girl, 17, banned from donating liver to dying mother, calls for help from Hong Kong community

A 17-year-old girl has appealed to the Hong Kong public for organ donors after learning she cannot donate her liver to her dying mother.

Tang Kwai-sze, 43, is suffering from acute liver failure. Her daughter Michelle is willing to donate part of her liver but, being three months under the minimum age for living donors, cannot do so. The teen’s considering filing a judicial review against the Hospital Authority for rejecting her donor application, but that’s time that her mother cannot afford.

According to Ming Pao, Tang’s doctor says she will only remain suitable for a transplant for one to two more days. During a press conference on Monday, Michelle appealed to willing and healthy Hongkongers to step forward and save her mother’s life.

The 43-year-old has the blood type AB, meaning she’s a “universal recipient” capable of accepting organ and tissue donations from any blood type. Tang was taken to hospital on April 1, after being sick at home, and was transferred to the intensive care unit at Queen Mary Hospital last Wednesday.

If you want to donate part of your liver to Tang Kwai-sze, call Queen Mary Hospital at 2255 3838 to arrange the appropriate tests.