To save his son, Gary Jackson first had to rebuild his own body — then give him part of his liver and bowel.

Gary lost nearly 38 kilograms, stopped drinking alcohol completely and spent months preparing for an operation so rare that only about 10 similar cases are known worldwide.

His son Harry was born with intestinal malrotation, a condition in which the bowel develops in the wrong position. Years of intravenous feeding contributed to serious liver disease. Harry needed both a liver and a small-bowel transplant.

Then doctors found something remarkable.

Gary was a 98% HLA match for his son.

There was one obstacle. To become a living donor safely, the 47-year-old father had to get significantly healthier first.

So he changed everything.

He followed a strict diet, exercised, gave up alcohol and lost six stone — about 38 kilograms.

On Jan. 29, 2025, father and son entered King’s College Hospital in London.

Over 17 hours, surgeons removed about 20% of Gary’s liver and 1.5 metres of his small intestine and transplanted them into Harry.

The procedure worked.

Gary recovered in about six weeks. Harry gradually grew healthier and stronger.

Doctors say living-donor liver and bowel transplants like theirs are extraordinarily rare. Only around 10 cases are known worldwide, and Harry’s was just the second performed in the United Kingdom.

For Gary, the statistics mattered less than one fact.

His son had another chance.

He later described donating two parts of his own body to Harry as the greatest privilege of his life — and said he would do it all again without hesitation.

Sources: BBC News; The Independent; King’s College Hospital surgical team comments (Prof. Nigel Heaton); additional reporting on the Jan. 29, 2025 living-donor liver and small-bowel transplant.