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00:03My name's Sam Vanderpump and I'm on a TV show called Made in Chelsea.
00:08Thank you all for coming. I thought I'd just say a few words.
00:12What you may not know is I was born with liver disease.
00:16For 28 years I never let it slow me down. Racing, skiing and living life flat out.
00:24But in 2024 everything changed. I've got end stage liver disease.
00:31There is no hope of my liver getting better. Due to my disease I contracted sepsis and nearly died.
00:39And now the doctors say I need a liver transplant.
00:42Not talking about if you will need a transplant, we're talking about when you will need a transplant.
00:48Mr and Mrs Vanderpump. I've just got married and I'm expecting
00:53a baby. Duke. I've had an absolutely fantastic life but in this situation the odds are the same for everyone.
01:11The best organ that you can ever have is a live donor organ. I don't want to do that.
01:18When my mum offered to donate her liver I was literally like, no.
01:24For me that's all I want to do is help my son.
01:27So do you know what blood type you are? Oh, negative I think.
01:32You'd be a match for a live donation technically.
01:35I'll definitely get it tested.
01:38It makes me feel sick. I don't want to put my friends
01:41or family through a liver surgery as well. I mean, could you imagine I go in for a liver transplant,
01:48I wake up and my friends died or my family members died on the table. I don't think I could
01:53live with that.
01:54You guys don't do it by half, do you? It's quite extraordinary.
01:57You know.
01:58What do you do? Well, let's have a liver transplant, let's have a baby. It's exhausting.
02:11I'm really excited. I'm surprised it actually compacts this small.
02:14It's the whole point, isn't it? It's meant to be a really good fold-out pran.
02:18In the build-up to Duke being born, there was a hell of a lot going on.
02:22The fact I was learning all about my medical condition, which was information overload at the time.
02:27We don't have very long now. So we're looking at dates now and it's 14th due date. So we were
02:32trying to book in a C-section as close to the due date as possible. Could be as soon as
02:36next week.
02:39A little bit more time than that, but it's about dates because that hospital is very busy.
02:44The reason why I ended up opting for a C-section is because I've had pre-existing conditions with my
02:50bladder and my kidneys. They wouldn't let me go over my due date.
02:53You want your baby facing you.
02:54Yeah, I know, but I'm just looking at which way I put the attachments in, darling.
02:58Everyone's going to be thinking, why am I doing this without reading the instructions?
03:01And I want to say, I don't...
03:05Don't need them. That's what I'm going to say.
03:07Watch this. Okay. Here we go. Now I know how to use it.
03:14No, no, no. That was starting again.
03:16In you go, Duke, Bonnie. Great.
03:19Bonnie, Duke is very happy. Hasn't cried once, so...
03:26I think there was so much going on last year. So much to navigate. I didn't know how to feel,
03:31or what to feel, or when to feel it. The actual transplant felt like it was the biggest thing
03:36in life and the biggest focus, whereas now I feel like focus is shifting back to normal routine a little
03:44bit more, or baby. Have you thought any more about, like, live donor?
03:50No.
03:51It was important for me to keep live donation in the conversation because Sam would probably have to
03:56get more sick before he can have a liver, which is a fine line between that and becoming too sick.
04:02So I think those were the most pressing things for me that thought, right, he needs to look at this
04:06option. I have people that are coming to me that are interested in exploring that, and I don't know
04:12what to tell them because you seem, like, closed off to the idea that, and I need to know if
04:17it's
04:17something that you'd be willing to do. So it's not, like, I don't want to go against your wishes.
04:21I've got enough going on in my head with this, as it is, and I don't want to have to...
04:31Why do I have to suddenly worry about other people in this situation? If someone really wants to go
04:36donate an organ, why do I have to give you permission? I should just be focused on my journey.
04:43Whatever happens around outside, it shouldn't involve me.
04:49If that's how you feel, and I'm glad you've said that now, I can now make my own decision
04:53on what I say to people, and if they want to explore it, they can.
04:58Having that conversation with him then, that's clarified a lot for me. I think it's a lot of
05:02pressure for him, and that's why he shuts these conversations down, because he doesn't feel like
05:06he should be responsible for other people's choices, and that is what's putting pressure on.
05:11Now I know that, I'm going to explore, obviously not with Sam knowing, because the permission
05:17part of it puts pressure then on him. I can't help think, yeah he's okay now, what if in
05:23six months suddenly he's got a really bad infection, he's not okay, and there's not much
05:30to be done about that, and I have to worry about the fact that we've got a baby, the fact
05:35that he's
05:36going downhill, knowing that we could have explored that route and that option, that he could have had
05:42a transplant already. Ugh, it's just scary.
05:53Welcome to baby shower number two.
05:57Hello!
06:03We're going to be parents, and that trumps everything, right? That becomes your priority.
06:08Baby Juki!
06:09How cute is that?
06:11Yeah!
06:12I'm just very excited for the birth of my child.
06:14Oh my God, and you put it on their head, didn't it?
06:19It also gives me even more strength. I've got a wife and a baby I need to provide for, so...
06:25I love this. I love dungarees. Apparently it's weird if I wear dungarees.
06:39It's never been a doubt in my head that I would be the one to give Sam the liver.
06:48I called the live donation coordinator and I said to her, I want to be tested. She went away and
06:56spoke
06:56to the surgeon and they said, no, you're 55, you're too old, and that was it. Sam didn't want to
07:02discuss it and it was shut down. I know I don't say to Sam, but that doesn't work with Sam.
07:08I know
07:09what I'm going to do. If we can get a live donor, it's more controllable. You know, they've said no
07:19to
07:19me because of me being over the age limit. When we're in with the consultant next, could we just
07:27ask if we could have a second opinion? Give me every single test going. This is something that's
07:34never been a doubt in my mind that I would be the person to donate. And I think when Duke
07:43comes,
07:44you'll even understand that even more. I mean, the biggest thing that made me think about it was
07:48Alice sort of turned around to me in bed. She started crying and said, you know, I don't want
07:54you to get ill. I'm terrified you won't, you know, be there for Duke. I can't do this alone kind
08:00of thing.
08:00Like I said, I don't, I wasn't even gonna
08:06ever talk about this option. I didn't want to talk about this option
08:12because I'm obviously terrified. Not, I'm terrified for myself, obviously, but I'm terrified.
08:17I don't, then I've got to be terrified for you. Not doing it is not an option for me. And
08:22I want
08:22to fight to do it. I feel so, so, so strongly about this, that they can't just say no. They
08:29need to,
08:30we need, we need to fight because we know it's your best option.
08:48I don't think there was ever a specific decision to share Sam's news. Living your life when you're on
08:56like a TV show, what we're dealing with in our real life is on Made in Chelsea. I don't think
09:02Sam
09:02realised how much people would take notice of it. And then everything came out and it's like,
09:08bang, the world kind of found out and it was a bit of a shock.
09:13Today we are joined by a maiden Chelsea's finest, Sam and Alice Thunderdome.
09:17But I think Sam found strength in realising that sharing that information helped people.
09:23So at four, I was diagnosed with congenital hepatic fibrosis. It's hearing the statistics,
09:29which make me sad. We know due to the circumstances that less than 1% of deaths are viable for
09:36organ
09:37donation. But when we come to it, under 50% of that 1% are actually being donated just because
09:45their families didn't know their wishes. And 9 out of 10 families agree to organ donation when they know
09:52the wishes of their loved ones. If we can just make people aware of that and get everyone to confirm
09:59their decision that they believe in, then we would save an unbelievable amount of lives.
10:04People agreed to it through polling. Let's get them all signed up.
10:08Just by speaking on this topic, even one more organ gets donated and even one person's life is saved.
10:17Then surely it's worth it, right?
10:20They actually put me on the list as of last month, so I'm now active.
10:25I could get a phone call at any moment saying, we've got a liver for you.
10:30I'm so sorry.
10:32You know what? And that's literally why I have to have my phone on loud.
10:45You put a normal cross on him for me.
10:47I'm a bit indecisive about what to actually have. Maybe I have brown flakes.
10:52Oh, God. I don't understand. I hate those healthy cereals.
10:55I love healthy cereal.
10:57But then I coat it in sugar, so it's probably not that healthy.
11:01So what are you actually doing today?
11:03I'm driving down to see the worms. You obviously know about my friend and his parents who donated his organs.
11:15At the time, I really didn't know much about the organ donation.
11:19Three years ago, a good friend of ours had a brain aneurysm and unfortunately didn't make it.
11:26And ever since then, I've been speaking to his parents so much.
11:30It's nice to see the sort of family that has affected and even more so because it's a friend of
11:37mine.
11:37I know I play with fire.
11:43Morning, son.
11:44Hello.
11:46How are you?
11:47I'm good, thank you, Sam.
11:49I love Daniel's favourite colour is orange and the fact that you guys wear orange and
11:54there's orange all around the house.
11:56Yeah, keep the memories alive.
11:57The most amazing thing to come out of it was he'd actually had a conversation a few months earlier
12:03with his parents saying, if he passed away, why would he not give his organs if they could help someone
12:10else?
12:11When was the actual first time that Daniel mentioned donation?
12:14One of Daniel's close friends suddenly passed away.
12:18One of the things I did mention to him was organ donation.
12:23And he said, well, if anything happened to me, I could help others.
12:28Which is something I talk about so much at the moment, trying to raise awareness around the organ
12:32donation topic is obviously about people just having these conversations.
12:36Yeah, and we straight away literally turned around and said, okay, so how do we go about
12:42making sure that his life lives on in someone else, i.e. donation?
12:49You know, the specialist even said to me, I can't believe you talking like this.
12:53Daniel was always the kindest, so it just felt so fitting.
12:57His organs were donated and he saved multiple lives.
13:01It's hard, but at the same time, it's incredibly comforting
13:05that we know Daniel's heart is beating, but someone's had a second shot.
13:11And I think it's important to talk about it, people.
13:14Talk, talk, talk, because I just think it is such an important thing.
13:18You know, if you can go on to save somebody, this is the most basic, basic form of humanity,
13:24as far as I'm concerned, you know, to be able to give someone the gift of life.
13:31It's a horrible subject, but it is so amazing that some good's come out of it.
13:36The moment they knew he was brain dead, within minutes, they said, what about his organs?
13:41It's a story they haven't told a lot of our friendship group. So for them to share it with us
13:46it's so amazing and I'm so thankful for that.
13:55Sam is at a point where he just doesn't want to know in regards to live donations.
14:02I now feel comfortable having those conversations, but not have those conversations with Sam,
14:08whereas I feel like before I was seeking permission from Sam.
14:10I think I would kick myself in the future if I didn't explore them and something bad happened.
14:17Hi, sweetie. Hello.
14:19How are you? I'm good. How are you?
14:21Oh, I'm so good. How is Sam?
14:23He's all right. He just gets a bit overwhelmed talking about live donations.
14:27Like, he feels like it's a burden. How does he feel about his mum doing it?
14:31The same thing. He doesn't... Because that's really difficult,
14:34because him and Sam are so close. They're so close.
14:36And also he doesn't have a dad. And so that's where it's hard as well,
14:40because that's his last parent.
14:43I think we're at a level now where it's going to be explored. He's just not comfortable being
14:48heavily involved in that, you know, because he feels like he's putting pressure on people in his life.
14:52Like, he doesn't want you, for example, to feel any pressure to go and get a test because you just
14:58have the same blood type.
14:59I did actually contact the data center.
15:01You did? Yeah.
15:02You've done it. I've already spoken the word number one.
15:04Are you joking? No, I'm not joking.
15:06Because I think if I don't do this, what is prognosis for Sam if he has to wait for someone
15:10to die? There is a slight difference with this. Something that's happened in our lives is someone's
15:15been incredibly altruistic and held two of our babies. We had a couple of surrogates,
15:19and that's been something that's opened your mind quite a lot as well.
15:22But also there was 2024, 2025, 463 people who were waiting on his diet. If I don't do this,
15:29if I don't go and get checked, if I don't know whether that is an option for if we face
15:32that situation, I couldn't live with that. Does Sam know you're talking to us about this now?
15:38I think he has an idea. He knows conversations are going to happen. I love you guys. We're so
15:44close. And yet I feel uncomfortable having a conversation about it too.
15:48Yeah, say everything all going well, I'll end up with a scar and take six weeks of my liver to
15:52go
15:52back to 90% of the volume bills before. And I can go back to normal. Ideally, there's a deceased
15:58liver come along and it's all great. And that is the ideal thing.
16:00But if shit hits the van, I think it is an insurance policy that if there's a point where he
16:07might not make it, there's someone here that can help. I'm in utter shock, to be honest. I'm happy.
16:12Obviously, I'm like over the moon, like just to see that Sam has people in his life that aren't like
16:18blood related, that care about him that much, that have kids, twins under like of the age of two,
16:26to consider something like this, to be there for Sam if something goes wrong, like it's amazing.
16:34So medications wise, any changes? No. Dr. Joshi is my lead heptologist. So I'm under the
16:40King's College advanced liver disease team. And I've seen Dr. Joshi since I was about 15.
16:46Your liver blood tests are actually very good. But when we look at your scans and we look at everything
16:51else, we know there is evidence of advanced liver disease. I appreciate you feel good. And I,
16:56like I said, that's the most important thing because you need to carry on doing, you know,
17:00what you need to do. I am approaching a cliff. We don't want you to get to that cliff because
17:05at the top of the cliff, people fall down. We are interested in learning more about live
17:12donation. Yes. Because at first I was of the opinion, it's my liver disease. Why would I want
17:17someone else to go for a risky surgery, you know, other than me? And I can wait for a deceased
17:23liver.
17:23And many people have made it clear to me that that could be a very silly course of action because
17:28I could wait to be waiting to get ill. Where on this route, you can be proactive.
17:33Obviously, I've known that I would be this person. And I just think I'm only just 56.
17:39Yeah. Never drunk. You know, never done drugs.
17:42Any illnesses? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I knew this was my opportunity to see Dr. Joshie
17:50face to face, get him to actually look at me and say, look, I know you're saying I'm too old.
17:57Please consider me. You know, I train every single day. I have a healthy diet. I just think,
18:05can I just be tested? Let's just do the physical, mental, all of those tests.
18:09Yeah, yeah. No, no. And then, if you then say, look, no, then I've, okay, I'll have to accept that.
18:16But I just want to at least look at me physically and mentally before we say no. That's all I'm
18:22asking.
18:22Okay. What do you think about that, Sam, if mum was to donate?
18:26I said, we'll look into it. We'll have the conversation. If they say no,
18:30then that answers our question anyway.
18:32I suppose you've met halfway. Let's go down the living donation sort of aspect. It doesn't change
18:39anything else in the meantime, and it just sort of runs in parallel.
18:42I don't know if in words I can explain how I felt. It was, I suppose, relief that I'd been
18:51listened to.
18:52I feel okay speaking about live donation with Dr Joshy, because at this stage, it really is just
19:00a conversation. I've got to remember, it's not just me that this affects. It affects everyone,
19:06but I'm still terrified. No matter how small that risk is, you know, it's still a big thing that my
19:14mum
19:14would have to undergo. Once we've got all the information we can, then we'll make our informed
19:19decision. I mean, look, we might even get to a point where they just say completely no to my mum,
19:23then we're back to just on the waiting list anyway.
19:42So nice to see you, Sam. Hello, Sam. Oh my goodness, I'm so excited to tell you all about
19:49things you need to know. Happy baby. Sam, natural dad. He has natural dad energy.
19:56Everyone keeps saying to me, you're not prepared, you have no idea what you're going to get in for,
20:01but I've read three books. I haven't finished the three books. I'm halfway through each one.
20:07I'm going to start with nappy changing. Okay. Mr. I know how to do it. It's a very different vibe.
20:14When Duke will be moving around a lot more squirmy than this one.
20:18Mama Duke. Mama Duke Marcus Vanderpump. Those names really have a special meaning to me, you know.
20:26Mama Duke was the name my dad wanted to name my brother. My mum detested the name and hence my
20:32brother was named Jack Daniels Vanderpump. And then Marcus especially as well. Obviously my dad's name
20:38was Mark. And Alice agreed to it because she could call him Duke for short. Roll over and tuck. Absolutely
20:48swaddled.
20:52Hello. Oh no, you're perfect. How are you? How do you look like I look after lunch?
20:59It really means a lot to me that my aunt's flown all this way for the birth of Duke. It's
21:04such a long
21:05way for her to come. But family is everything. So everything's good. Any updates on you?
21:10It seems very, very likely that I will become ill. Then I will be escalated up the transplant list,
21:15which will mean I will get the transplant sooner. But obviously we don't want me to become ill.
21:19Isn't there this fine line? That's what worries me. Because when you were ill last time,
21:25you were literally very quickly on death's door, weren't you? Are they saying it's imminent or not?
21:33To a certain degree, yeah. Like they're surprised he's as well as he is with the state of it currently.
21:38I mean, he looks a picture of health as well. That's what I struggle with. How do you feel about
21:44live donation? I mean, when I first embarked on this journey, I only wanted to go down the waiting
21:51list route and I wasn't going to accept live donation. But at the same time, there were there
21:55were certain moments where my mind started to change. It was having a conversation with Alice
22:01one night and, you know, Alice kind of broke down to me and said, I hadn't thought about it too
22:06much.
22:06But in that moment, in that conversation, it made me really sad because I thought I don't want any
22:12regret thinking there could have been an opportunity. And if something ever was to go wrong,
22:17we missed an opportunity to do something, you know?
22:20So it's a lot to ask. And I haven't asked anyone.
22:23Your mum is very, like... Mum is very passionate.
22:26She would like to be the person, yeah. I don't think she would want to feel as a mother that
22:30she,
22:31you know, isn't being taken seriously. Because I think that's, you would feel like that when you have
22:36your child. I mean, look, these are all things we're exploring. For now, for the next few days,
22:41it's getting through the birth of Duke. I will do whatever you want within reason.
22:48But I will be up or call me in the middle of the night or whatever. If anything happens before,
22:54just call me because I don't want to miss it.
23:01Oh.
23:05The morning Duke was scheduled in for his C-section, I was actually already in labour.
23:10They were getting stronger.
23:11You need to be telling me when they're starting and stopping.
23:14Now.
23:14I've been timing between each contraction. I realised it was getting very, very close together.
23:21Okay.
23:23Not great.
23:25Because Alice was going into labour, all of a sudden, it wasn't going to be planned and smooth sailing.
23:29It does make things a little bit more stressful.
23:32I'm having another one, actually, Sam.
23:34The speed of it, at that point, is what made me nervous. And I think Sam could see
23:39the fear on my face.
23:40That's less than five minutes. Let's go.
23:58Come in.
24:00Come in.
24:07How are you feeling?
24:09I feel like I'm in a dream right now.
24:11You might want to do it.
24:13Look at this.
24:15Is it like you thought?
24:18I...I...it's better.
24:19I don't think you can get into words what it feels like until it happens.
24:25I'm so glad I'm here. I'm part of it. I love you, baby.
24:30I love you.
24:36When Duke was born, it was incredible.
24:39All we heard was this tiny little cry.
24:42It brought both Alice and I to tears.
24:46That is the best noise in the world.
24:48And I just heard this, eh, noise.
24:51And all of the panic and all of the busyness of the room just stops.
24:55And Sam and I just looked at each other and then the curtain came down.
24:58He had a very loud cry.
25:00I remember thinking that.
25:01I remember thinking, wow, he's loud like his dad.
25:03Oh, my gosh.
25:06Everyone talks about this overwhelming sense of joy, pride that you will have.
25:10I didn't believe them until it actually happened.
25:13Sam was able to cut the umbilical cord, put his first nappy on.
25:17And then he was brought over and placed on my chest.
25:20And Sam and I both had our hands on him.
25:23It was a lot.
25:26Look how comfy he looks on Sam.
25:29Oh, oh, bless him.
25:32So comfy now.
25:32So comfy now.
25:34When I first saw Duke, it wasn't actually about Duke.
25:39It was actually about, I actually just watched Sam.
25:41To see your son have his own son.
25:44It was just, for me, it was just Sam.
25:48Yeah.
25:48Sam, I think, for the first time ever, seemed at a loss for words.
25:56This is perfect.
25:57No, that baby's just so beautiful.
25:59I'm so happy for them.
26:00He's absolutely beautiful.
26:03Yeah, stunning.
26:04You're a nanny.
26:06Best job in the world.
26:08Momo.
26:11Where are we, my transference?
26:21You look so tiny.
26:23He's fast asleep.
26:25She let him sit for this already.
26:27Oh, my gosh.
26:28He's just a sleeping angel.
26:30I can't believe he's actually in this room.
26:33I'm going to cry.
26:35All a bit overwhelming.
26:43Crazy.
26:45Absolutely crazy.
26:46Coming home for the first time, it's magical, but it's actually terrifying.
26:53You're on your own now.
26:54This is just you, Alice and Duke.
26:56You've got to fend for yourselves.
26:58It's scary.
27:00Okay, no.
27:12I know, I know, I know, I know.
27:15I'm tired.
27:17It's amazing.
27:18It's amazing, but I'm tired.
27:21Sam doesn't function on little sleep.
27:22And you take a lot of sleep away from him.
27:25And he still loves you.
27:28More than anything in the world.
27:31Oh!
27:32Oh!
27:33Is that a hint for my mummy to change your nappy?
27:36Look at that face.
27:37She's definitely straining for something a bit larger than a body burp, I think.
27:48Come on, this way.
27:50This way.
27:51This way.
27:52Good girl.
27:53I phoned the live donation coordinator again, said, look, we've seen Dr Joshi saying,
28:00I should be tested if I can donate.
28:03She came back to me and said, they've agreed to test me.
28:08Their concern is the size.
28:11You have to give 70% of your liver.
28:14Is that 70% going to be enough for Sam?
28:18And is 30% big enough for me to live?
28:22I just want them to say yes.
28:26I'm very, very, very happy that they're testing me.
28:29Yeah, it's just a no-brainer.
28:31It's what I've wanted since Sam was four.
28:40Stand still, relax, don't talk.
28:43If you wish to stop the measurement, press the red key.
28:46Okay, Simone, just breathe in there.
28:49Okay, all finished there.
28:50Looking at the fibrous scan result, your liver is very soft and there is no fat on your liver.
28:56So that's good.
28:57It's very good.
28:57Would you want more time to kind of think about it?
29:00No.
29:00It's if you say no, that's more what I'm concerned about.
29:07That's a lot of blood going.
29:10I want you to know that it's not all on you, okay?
29:12Just because, as I've said, since he was four, I always thought it'd be me.
29:17Yeah.
29:18And I want it to be, I don't want it to be anyone else.
29:20Do you know?
29:21I hear you.
29:24And relax.
29:26From my point of view, the liver looks good.
29:28So I'll pop that all in the report.
29:29Okay.
29:30So do you reckon that's enough for me to insert my son?
29:33From my point of view, I didn't see anything abnormal.
29:35It's not small.
29:36It's not fatty.
29:38Brilliant.
29:38That's very good.
29:39Everything on the surface at the moment seems extremely positive.
29:44Hopefully within 24 hours, they will make the decision just with the liver if it is big enough.
29:51All right.
29:51Thank you so, so much.
29:52All the best with everything.
29:53If they say the liver isn't big enough, that's it.
29:56There's nothing more I don't think I can do.
30:09I can't, oh my God, I'm so tired.
30:13He makes us tired.
30:17Duke makes us tired.
30:19I feel like I've regressed to the same mental capacity as Duke because I'm so tired.
30:26Duke last night just wouldn't settle.
30:31Yeah, we're definitely feeling the tiredness today.
30:36Are you waking up?
30:39Making your presence known?
30:42Oh, life's just taken over.
30:45You know, we've been focusing on Duke's birth.
30:48Now he's here, just in the moment, in the bubble.
30:53I am terrified.
30:56And I think that fear does become a lot more real now Duke's here because, yeah, you're just,
31:02you're terrified that, I don't know, there's someone else who relies on you and you're just terrified
31:07that, yeah, well, that you're not going to be here for them.
31:13And, you know, that's why I all of a sudden changed my mind around live donation.
31:20Right now, my road is just focusing on keeping healthy today and doing everything to support the family.
31:30Anyway, get mum.
31:35Hi.
31:37Hungry.
31:39He's a hungry monkey.
31:43Did you keep mummy and daddy up last night?
31:46All night?
31:47Yeah.
31:51But you've been sleeping well today, haven't you?
31:53Yeah, because he's going to be up tonight.
31:56I can't believe how three people wear so many clothes in a space of...
32:01It's not us, it's this one.
32:03Yeah, I was here on Monday.
32:04And then he throws off one every day.
32:06Monday.
32:07He's sick.
32:07I mean, are we real?
32:10How does it happen?
32:20We're waiting now to see if we can go forward, if my liver is an acceptable size.
32:29Do you all literally phone and go, no, or yes?
32:34Yeah.
32:35And you know when you just want something so badly.
32:38So, so, so badly.
32:45Oh.
32:47Yes, it's the hospital.
32:50Hello?
32:51Hi, Simone.
32:52It's Matilda.
32:53Hi, Matilda.
32:53How are you?
32:55Not too bad.
32:55How are you doing?
32:56Yeah, I'm absolutely fine.
32:58Okay.
32:58It's now an okay time to talk.
33:00Yeah, sure.
33:00From a liver perspective, there's no issues, but he has said that in order to really kind
33:09of understand whether you've got enough volume, we're going to need a CT scan.
33:14Okay.
33:14And he can't make that decision without that.
33:16He's happy to proceed with that.
33:19But I think we can't make a definite call on that.
33:22No, but that's still, it's still positive, isn't it?
33:24Still hopeful, yeah, yeah.
33:26So, the liver looks good.
33:28It's just the volume we need to look at.
33:30We need to know that you are giving Sam enough liver.
33:36Yeah.
33:36But also being left with enough for yourself.
33:39Yeah, I mean, I know it's not 100%, but I still think we're ticking the boxes at the moment.
33:46Yeah, yeah.
33:47When I got the phone call from Matilda, the good news was my liver was a normal size,
33:52so that meant we could go on to the next stage.
33:56Okay, all right, take care.
33:57Thank you so much, Matilda.
33:59Pleasure.
34:00Bye.
34:03That's brilliant.
34:05It's not a no, it's about, we've ticked a box.
34:12Yeah.
34:14Yeah, it has ticked a box.
34:16We've ticked the next box.
34:18Oh, my God, I've got to lie down, I can't, I can't think.
34:22Yeah, the relief, the joy, um, yeah, it was just incredible.
34:29It really, really was, it was, oh, my God.
34:48I can't get over this.
34:50That is the cutest little thing I've ever seen in my life.
34:59Oh, my God, my heart, I literally can't deal with that.
35:04I've been looking for someone like you.
35:13I'm extremely blessed.
35:14I have got the dream family.
35:17I've got a beautiful wife, a beautiful son, and not just limited to us three.
35:22Excellent.
35:22And that is a rat, as they say.
35:25Woo!
35:25Good job, honey, too.
35:28Well done.
35:28You're such a good boy.
35:29Bye.
35:30I never got why my mum offered to donate her liver.
35:36But that's all changed very recently.
35:38The moment Duke's been born, I think I now get it.
35:56Mum just called us to say her anatomy basically doesn't marry up with being a viable donor for me.
36:04She was very, very upset.
36:07When I got the phone call, I wasn't expecting it.
36:10Literally, my phone went and immediately you know it's King's College because of the number.
36:14What she said wasn't anything what I was expecting.
36:17From the CT scan, what the surgeon could see was from my anatomy, my portal vein.
36:25Apparently, it's supposed to go into your right and your left lobes of your liver.
36:31Mine just goes into my right.
36:34Immediately, it writes me out of ever being a donor.
36:37I just put the phone down and just cried and cried and cried.
36:44It was, yeah, it was horrible news.
36:49Oh, guys, I'm so sorry.
36:52Seeing how excited your mum was about the possibility of it being something and like
36:57even exploring that idea felt like a safety blanket.
37:01And it's like the safety blanket's kind of gone.
37:04For me, like the live donation thing, I was like, at least it gives some control over like timing.
37:10And now it's like back to the drawing board of like, oh, my God, we just have no idea when.
37:16The hospital said to mum that apparently there's someone else.
37:20I do know if someone else is looking into, you know, getting tested.
37:24I don't know anything about how far that's gone.
37:27But I know Gareth was keen on, he had spoken to them about getting tested.
37:34Yeah, from their side.
37:35When I spoke to them about live donation, in no way was I being presumptuous.
37:41No, you'd never expect that.
37:42I was just, I was just talking openly with amongst friends.
37:46And so, I mean, the fact that he's done that off his own back is pretty incredible.
37:52But there's a reason why I'm not meant to know these things, you know.
37:56You don't want that added pressure.
37:57And I think you can leave that as that now.
37:59You don't need to know any more inside knowledge on that.
38:03It's just, it's not necessarily a dead end just because it hasn't worked out with your mum.
38:11I've never done the waiting list.
38:13What it's meant to be will be.
38:15And obviously this thing was not meant to be.
38:26Simone called Sam the other day.
38:29She was actually really quite upset.
38:30And it turns out that she isn't able to be a live donor for Sam.
38:35I've never seen like a mother love their child as much as she loves her sons.
38:39Oh my gosh, she loves that kid so much.
38:41She is like the most giving best mum I've ever seen.
38:43She was not scared of this operation at all.
38:46So then that's all been taken away from you in like a second.
38:50I sat there with him and I went, Sam, are you sure you're okay?
38:53Have you actually processed this information?
38:57And he was like, it's not really changed anything for me.
39:00Because part of me feels like I still don't need to have a transplant.
39:04And I was like, but we know for a fact that you do need to have a transplant from your
39:08scans.
39:09Sam at the moment feels almost invincible.
39:12There's a fine line between a positive attitude and denial.
39:16Simone was told as well that there's actually only a 20% of chance that someone will be a match.
39:21Unfortunately, not that likely.
39:24Well, look, I'm a relatively similar size height to Sam.
39:28Yeah.
39:29Um, he's a bit skinnier than me, but he has got, he's a bit younger.
39:32So it's one in five chance, isn't it?
39:34It's from an altruistic place.
39:35It's one of those things you kind of just like think you want to help your friend out at this
39:39stage.
39:40Yeah.
39:40Do you get what I mean?
39:41You have been a big part of seeing this journey unfold as has Ollie from the beginning.
39:45Yeah.
39:45We really do love Sam and like, at least you just got to get the options on the table.
39:51For sure.
39:52You can't help, but want to look after Sam, like a little brother.
39:57There's something quite sweet about him.
39:59I think it's hard for anyone that is close to Sam and cares for Sam.
40:03I can see it's hard for you, you know?
40:05It's just, it's just literally like you should be having a newborn is enough to worry about.
40:11Let alone having to worry about all this stuff.
40:14Oh, bless.
40:15It's literally like, oh God.
40:18I just don't feel like there is anything to update Sam on at this point.
40:22You know, I don't want to give him anything more to worry about or stress over.
40:27It's really a case of not knowing where things could go.
40:30And I don't think he, he really needs that.
40:32We now know Simone can't do it.
40:35Someone from the team is obviously inevitably going to reach out to Gareth.
40:39Yeah.
40:40And we'll just have to see what happens from there.
40:50So how are you feeling about everything?
40:53I'm okay today.
40:56Wasn't very good on Friday.
40:58Because obviously I was quite, really thought it was going to be okay.
41:04And I mean, obviously the reason I'm not going to be able to donate isn't actually anything to do
41:10with my age, which we thought was the problem with the liver size.
41:14It's literally where my body is inside.
41:18I know it's hard for you to deal with, but I just feel like, yeah, it was never meant to
41:23be you.
41:24And if anything, it was like, okay, well, I had never processed that it was going to be you yet,
41:30because we hadn't got to that stage yet.
41:32So being told it wasn't you was just like, okay, phew, you know, at least you don't have to go
41:37for a major
41:37surgery as well. And we don't have to have that debate. I guess I only got that for a few
41:43minutes
41:44or a few hours until obviously I'm now know that Jack's going to get himself tested. And now I have
41:50to worry about that. So my mum told me that now my brother's going to get tested.
41:55And so we start again with Jack, and I'm just so proud of him. I'm just proud of them both.
42:03I was extremely overwhelmed when I found out my brother was going to get tested.
42:08Yeah, I just started crying. I don't know why. I haven't worked out why, what emotions I'm feeling.
42:18But it's challenging, to say the least.
42:25We'll be fine. We really will be. I have no doubt in that.
42:29It's a family. We'll all deal with it together.
42:32We'll be fine with it together.
42:38Hey, honk.
42:48The gozhang's delicious.
42:51Good. Can someone give Daddy some caviar, please, before he moans?
42:58Yes. Did you?
43:00I'm too common for caviar.
43:02Charling.
43:03At the start of this journey, I thought I was going to go on a waiting list and wait for
43:07a deceased donor.
43:08That's all changed. There's not enough donors out there. If there is very little risk to anyone
43:14who is going to live donate, then it was kind of my duty to at least explore the idea.
43:20There is the person in me who talks about wanting to raise awareness to help others.
43:26Well, by me becoming off the waiting list, I'm actually freeing up another liver for someone else.
43:32He makes these sounds in the night and I get so scared, but then if he doesn't make the sounds,
43:36I get even more scared all the time.
43:39Yeah, he's just had a nappy change.
43:47What's that? What is that? He's looking in the balloons.
43:52Wow, it's for a nappy cake. Happy birthday, Samuel.
43:56Happy birthday.
43:58I think he's hungry, darling. He cooked you.
44:00He's hungry.
44:01What, cooked you?
44:02I'll get some milk.
44:03Yeah.
44:04Are you hungry, little monkey?
44:06You can't still be hungry, buddy. That's ridiculous.
44:15Grandson, you're one in a million.
44:18Jack, that means you're number two in a million.
44:22The future is bright and filled with possibilities. I'm a father. I'm a husband.
44:28I am healthy at the moment. I can't obsess over or think about things beyond my control.
44:35For an amazing son, there are so many reasons to celebrate on your birthday and so many reasons
44:41to feel proud of you every day of the year. Happy birthday with love. Hope you have an amazing
44:46birthday, Sam. Tons of love. Mum.
44:49There is a roller coaster and a storm to come, but we will muster through it as we always do.
44:56And that's it.
45:00That's it for now.
45:01My life has always been eventful. 28 has to take the cherry for now, but I plan to beat it
45:09in the future.
45:10You know, in the good and the bad. You know, I would like to minimise the bad and maximise the
45:15good for sure.
45:16There's obviously hurdles along the way, but we'll just jump over them.
45:20This one's from Alice.
45:22Okay.
45:23I guess there are goals. To be as good a father and partner as possible.
45:28They're shoes. Oh wow, I like them.
45:34My other goal is for myself is to get a liver transplant done. You know, if I had any control
45:39over it, I would say sooner rather than later so I can get on the rest of my life.
45:43They're very nice. Yeah, I like them a lot.
45:45And then obviously my third goal, which is just raise as much awareness as possible.
45:52Thank you everyone. I'm very, very lucky. Smile.
45:56You smile for grandma's photo.
45:59Has it been a good birthday Sam? It's been a different birthday.
46:02No, it's been lovely. Well, you weren't a year ago, you weren't even pregnant.
46:07Oh yeah. You weren't even pregnant a year ago.
46:09Wow. How are things changing? Are you?
46:17I mean, this has got to be the best birthday present ever.
46:22Is that right? He's amazing.
46:38I know it may sound horny, but I got everything I wanted from the ghost of my past.
46:46They said it wouldn't last. When I was broken in half, I found me looking right at you through the
46:52looking glass.
46:59Through the looking glass.
47:01Right at you, ride at you through the looking glass.
47:05Transcription by CastingWords
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