My son turned yellow like Bart Simpson after going to bed unwell – he’s been to hell and back with strangers staring

A MAN has told how he turned bright yellow “like Bart Simpson” after his liver failed and he was left needing a transplant. The “luminous” yellow shade of Kieran Cooper’s skin left him scared to leave the house for fear of strangers staring. Kieran Cooper’s skin turned bright yellow on day and he was scared to leave the house because of his appearance Credit: Kennedy News and Media The 25-year-old, pictured with his mum, was rushed to hospital and had to wait for a liver transplant Credit: Kennedy News and Media The 25-year-old had a liver transplant at just 11 months old, but went on to lead a healthy life. He was put on a waiting list for a second transplant in 2023 as a result of a rare condition he has. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! Kieran’s condition then drastically deteriorated earlier this year and he was rushed to hospital in an ambulance. He remained there for five weeks before undergoing a life-saving second liver transplant, having to relearn to walk after the operation. Kieran, from Northwich, Cheshire, said: “It was a shock [turning yellow], I looked like one of the Simpsons. “It made me self-conscious [walking down the street], it was quite uncomfortable.” Mum and retail worker Kerry, 54, said: “It was awful. I absolutely feared for his life. “He wasn’t feeling well [one day] and the next morning I thought, ‘oh my world he is yellow’. Most read in Health Kieran’s mum Kerry said his yellow skin was shocking and made him look like a Simpsons character Credit: Kennedy News and Media He started experiencing complications and was put on the waitlist for another liver transplant in 2023 – his condition deteriorated however earlier this year Credit: Kennedy News and Media “We got blue-lighted to Birmingham and he was there for five weeks. “He had been yellow for a few months but it got worse while he was in Birmingham. “He was yellow but he went luminous, we joked saying he looked like Bart Simpson. “He stood out from everybody. Every time we went out for air everyone was looking at him. “He had to go into intensive care. It was pretty rough as a family, we didn’t know whether he would survive it.” Kieran was born with a rare liver condition called Biliary atresia, which stops the gallbladder from forming properly. Biliary atresia affects newborn babies and occurs when the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder do not develop as expected and are blocked. It is a rare condition that only sees between 20 and 30 babies diagnosed each year, according to King’s College Hospital. Symptoms include prolonged jaundice – where your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow – dark urine and pale poo, and the condition can cause severe liver damage. Kieran, who is currently not working due to his health, had his first operation to manage the condition at just seven weeks old. But sadly, it was unsuccessful and he was forced to have a liver transplant in 2002 when he was 11 months old. He lived a normal life until he started experiencing complications in 2014, at 13 years old, and was later told he would need another liver transplant. Kieran was born with a rare liver condition called Biliary atresia and had his first liver transplant at 11 months old Credit: Kennedy News and Media He was suffering from jaundice, which causes the skin and whites of the eyes to turn yellow Credit: Kennedy News and Media Kieran, before having the second liver transplant was bright yellow Credit: Kennedy News and Media But after the transplant, pictured here, his skin returned to its normal colour Credit: Kennedy News and Media While waiting for this surgery, Kieran developed jaundice in January and shockingly turned yellow due to the build- up of a substance called bilirubin. He got blue-lighted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and had to stay there for five weeks while waiting for a transplant. Kieran finally had the surgery at the end of February and his skin then went back to its normal colour. But his mum said her son had to go into intensive care while in hospital and the family “didn’t know whether he would survive”. The 25-year-old is still recovering from the operation but says he feels a lot better now, although he is “still scared” to go out and about. Speaking about the transplant, he said: “It wasn’t painful before but after [the transplant] it was horrendous. I had to learn to walk again too, it wasn’t very nice. “I go to the hospital every six weeks and I have to take medication for the rest of my life. “I didn’t like people looking but I couldn’t help it. “It went back to normal straight away. I’m glad I’m back on the mend and I’m grateful to be alive.” Kieran added: “I wanted to share my story and what I’ve been through. “You don’t want to go through the stuff I’ve been through, because I’ve been to hell and back.” What is Biliary atresia? Biliary atresia is a rare disease of the liver and bile ducts. It presents very early in life and requires urgent treatment. In newborns with biliary atresia, bile ducts are missing, incomplete, blocked or damaged. This stops the flow of bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine. Bile backs up and gets trapped inside the liver. Biliary atresia happens in around 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 20,000 births in the UK. Babies with biliary atresia usually appear well and healthy when they are first born. But signs such as prolonged jaundice, dark urine and pale stools (poo) usually start to appear during the first few weeks of life. Tests for biliary atresia include liver blood tests, an ultrasound scan and sometimes a liver biopsy. There is no medical cure for biliary atresia. But a surgical operation called a Kasai procedure can create a new path for bile to flow from the liver. This is best done in the first 2 to 3 months of life. If a baby does not have a Kasai procedure in the first 2 to 3 months of life, the success rate of the operation is low. But even if a Kasai procedure is performed early, it may not always be successful. Complications following a Kasai procedure may include cholangitis, itching, ongoing jaundice and poor growth. Sadly, in some children, liver disease can get worse and may lead to more severe complications and liver failure. Source: Liver UK Comment now