“He was operated on for thirteen hours.” Young Mathéo, aged 2 and a half, benefited from a double liver and kidney transplant in September. A first for such a young child. His mother took part in this risky operation with Ouest-France.
Originally from Maine-et-Loire, Mathéo has suffered from methylmalonic acidemia, also called AMM, since his birth. This rare, potentially life-threatening disorder affects the body's ability to process certain fats and proteins.
While he is only two months old, in June 2022, the newborn already has to undergo dialysis every day. His kidneys are only functioning between 30 and 50%. He then had to urgently undergo three operations in Paris, disrupting the family's life.
Hospitalized since January at the Necker pediatric hospital (15th arrondissement of Paris), the little boy was awaiting a double transplant. A major operation, especially at his age, which has a particularity: the liver and the kidney must be from the same donor.
“We received the call for the transplant on August 31,” recalls Émeline Soullard, her mother. On September 1, he was operated on for thirteen hours. » And added: “We were stunned when we received the call we had been waiting for almost a year.”
Mathéo is now back home, after a month in the intensive care unit and two additional operations. However, he is not considered definitively cured and must deal with certain constraints.
The little boy must take around twenty medications per day and go to the hospital every week. Two months after his transplant, he is also recommended to avoid increased contact and crowded places.
