Boy, 7, is one of the youngest in Britain to have five organ transplants in a mammoth 10-hour surgery

A seven-year-old boy is one of the youngest patients in Britain to undergo a multi-transplant operation to replace five organs.

Jay Crouch received two new kidneys, a liver, a small intestine and a pancreas from a single donor in a mammoth 10-hour operation. 

The youngster, who suffers from anemia, small bowel syndrome and chronic renal failure, was forced to eat through a tube before the procedure finally allowed him to taste and swallow. 

Following a four week stay, Jay was discharged from Birmingham Children's Hospital, where he was the first child in 20 years to undergo the complex procedure, last Monday and is recovering at home.

Jay's mother Katie Freestone, 28, from Market Harborough, Leicestershire, said: 'It's quite incredible really because we didn't expect it to all go so well. He's a little superhuman'.

When Jay was just six weeks old his small intestine became twisted, causing extensive damage to his major organs.  

Speaking of her son's surgery, Ms Freestone said: 'It's quite incredible really because we didn't expect it to all go so well.

'We knew how amazing he is and we thought he would do well but initially we were told he would be in for a much longer period, a few months, but it's actually only been just over four weeks, so everybody's pretty amazed at how he's done.

'I knew he would do great, he's a little superhuman, I knew he would do well.'

Jay's donor was a similar age to him. The donor's various organs were being removed while others were transplanted into Jay. 

Ms Freestone said: 'My first thought when I got the phone call to say the organs were available, it was initially of sadness for the family who have lost someone at this time.

'You can't really express your gratitude enough towards them, there aren't any words you can say.

'You can say thank you but that really doesn't cover it.

'Without the organs Jay wouldn't have survived so it's that important.

'There's nothing I could say to express my gratitude.'

Jay celebrated being able to eat food for the first time with a slice of buttered toast.

He said: 'I had some anaesthetic at first, when we first arrived, to get the whole stuff (tubes) into my body.' 

Surgeons removed Jay's liver, while the kidneys, pancreas, liver and intestine were being removed from the donor.

The new set of organs were attached to Jay's aorta, which is the body's largest artery, in his stomach. This gave Jay a bloody supply, while blood went back to his heart via the vein coming out of his liver.

The donor's small intestine was then attached to Jay's bowel. The youngster now has four kidneys and two pancreases.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter