Brother a donor for liver patient

A Kilkenny woman who is facing a sixth liver transplant has received a boost with the news that her brother's bone marrow is …

A Kilkenny woman who is facing a sixth liver transplant has received a boost with the news that her brother's bone marrow is a perfect match.

Ms Lizzie O'Farrell must undergo a bone-marrow transplant a month after her next transplant operation to increase the chance of her body accepting the organ. Her brother, Philip (23), will be the donor.

"It's a one-in-a-million chance. The doctors told us and they could not believe that Phillie's bone marrow was an exact identical match," Ms O'Farrell's sister, Marie, said yesterday.

Ms O'Farrell's condition has stabilised at King's College Hospital, London.