For five years, Daniel Canal waited for organ transplants to repair a body gone terribly wrong. He needed a new stomach, liver, pancreas and small intestine.
In May, the 13-year-old boy's wait was over, and the transplant operation appeared successful. But only for a few weeks, and then his body rejected the new organs. So he got another set of four new organs - but the liver didn't take, and the rejection damaged the other three.Over the weekend, the boy from Silver Spring, Md., received his third four-organ transplant. He was in critical but stable condition late Monday.
"We're really guardedly optimistic that things will go well this time," said Dr. Charles Schleien of the hospital's pediatric intensive care unit. "He really does seem to have turned around rather nicely."
Daniel first became sick when he was 8 years old. He suffered from a condition in which the intestine twists spontaneously, cutting off blood flow and causing it to die. As a result, he developed short bowel syndrome and could only get his nutrition intravenously.
While waiting for a small intestine, his liver, pancreas and stomach all failed.
A transplant team from the University of Miami, led by Dr. Andreas Tzakis, began the 19-hour operation on Saturday and finished the following morning. The donated organs were flown in from Puerto Rico.
Doctors say the new organs appear to be functioning well, and Daniel doesn't appear to have suffered any neurological problems.
The Canals have drawn strength from their son.
"Daniel is a fighter . . . there's not a moment he wasn't responsive to us," said his mother, Lori. "Daniel, through this whole thing, has never given up."
Daniel spoke out in February in support of a change in the current organ distribution system. He supported U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala's effort to overhaul the current system so the sickest patients get organs first.
"How much longer must I wait?" asked Daniel, his skin and eyes yellowed from liver dysfunction. "My body is gradually wearing down."
The new distribution system is set to take effect in October, but that could be delayed by debate in Congress.