The Hong Kong surgeon who performed Mike Watson’s life-saving surgery in March is now praising the courage of both recipient and Lisa Needoba, the donor.
In late February the Kaleden couple said goodbye to their three young children and caught a flight to the Chinese metropolis, unsure of what the future held in store.
“It’s the trust they have in us, it’s just hard to believe you would fly almost half way around the globe and think you could have an operation to save your life,” said Dr. Chung-Mau Lo who led the transplant team during the combined 20-hour operation March 1 at Queen Mary Hospital. “It’s not just one person’s life but the couple’s lives put into the hands of a complete stranger, someone they had never met before.
“I really appreciate that trust. Our whole team was just so excited to see that we’ve saved not just one life but the whole family.”
Lo is a professor and Chair of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic as well as being surgery head at the University of Hong Kong.
He has become known as a pioneer in living-donor, liver transplants and is currently in Canada visiting family. He spoke with the Western News by telephone from Vancouver this week.
“When we heard about Mike’s condition in Hong Kong we feel very sad for him because he was only 39 and he’s got three kids and we really believed there was a good chance of saving him,” said Lo. “But as I said, we were not sure if he would trust us, that was the major unknown. Certainly this is something we feel very proud of and honoured to do.”
After some recovery time Watson and Needoba returned home May 5 to the waiting arms of their children, Aiden, 11, Laila, 8, Shae, 4, and their own parents at Penticton Regional Airport.
Needoba and family members were first in touch with the transplant team in the latter stages of Watson’s illness.
“When Mike was so sick and declining in the Penticton ICU before we left, Professor Lo provided the only beacon of hope,” said Needoba, Thursday. “Their program’s professionalism, responsiveness, and reputation gave us the confidence to get on the plane, despite B.C. specialists advising us otherwise. And we are so glad we did.”
Watson was unable to have the transplant surgery in Canada in time to save his life after his liver ceased functioning.
Twenty years ago Lo developed a technique to remove the larger, right portion of the liver from a donor. The left side would not be enough for an adult recipient to survive.
“If we had not developed this new procedure at the time, many patients including Mike would not have lived,” he said.
However, for the person providing the organ there is an increased risk of death; Lo estimated about one in 200. According to Lo, the development of the procedure was necessary because of the low number of organ donors in Asia.
Meanwhile, as the Kaleden couple continues to recover and regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, Needoba has had time to reflect on the importance of living each day to the fullest.
“It has been like a dream to be back as a family,” she said. “So good to be able to attend the kids’ activities, spend time in the garden and be part of the celebrations in our community. Never will I look at a lacrosse game, Friday night soccer or a dance recital the same.
“Our eight-year-old daughter Laila says she now knows that the most important thing to her is family.”
Top, Lisa Needoba and Mike Watson are greeted by their children (left to right) Aiden, Laila and Shae at Penticton Regional Airport following their arrival last month from Hong Kong (Mark Brett/Western News). Above, Mike and Lisa pose for a photo with Dr. Chung-Mau Lo who led the transplant operation that saved Mike’s life.