Mom's jogging a lifesaver for son

A WOMAN in central China's Hubei Province who walked 10 kilometers a day to make sure her liver was healthy enough for a transplant to her son has undergone a donation operation, the Wuhan Evening News reported yesterday.

The mother, Chen Yurong, 55, a resident of provincial capital Wuhan, had a portion of her liver removed on Tuesday at the city's Tongji University after a seven-month jogging program to improve her liver function.

Doctors described the 14-hour-long transplant as a success.

"Her healthy liver could give her son another 30 to 50 years," Dr Chen Xiaoping said.

Chen's husband and relatives witnessed the surgery via TV outside the operation room, all in tears.

Chen's son, Ye Haibin, was diagnosed with a congenital liver disease 18 years ago. The disease can be fatal over the long term as it severely damages a patient's organs and nervous system.

Chen planned to make the donation in February but doctors rejected the offer, saying her liver was fatty and unhealthy.

To improve her liver, the mother started a weight-loss program and completed a lengthy run every day.

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