Local liver transplants save children’s lives

Few fears cut deeper than watching a child fight for life. For three Filipino families, that fear turned into hope through a breakthrough once thought out of reach — a liver transplant, now possible here at home.

Since 2011, The Medical City’s Center for Liver Health and Transplantation (Liver Center) has successfully performed operations on 18 pediatric and 11 adult patients using both living and deceased donors.

Most recently, three young children received a second chance at life through the Joint Liver Transplant Program of The Medical City (TMC) and Rizal Medical Center (RMC), launched in January 2025.

King Leo’s story

When one-year-old King Leo Villanueva Laurora was diagnosed with biliary cirrhosis, his parents were told that time was running out. Tests at The Medical City confirmed that only a liver transplant could save him.

His mother, Maricar, turned out to be a match and made history on 12 April 2025, as the first living donor in the Philippines to undergo a fully robotic donor hepatectomy using the Da Vinci Xi system.

The procedure allowed her to recover faster and care for her son sooner. “I just wanted him to get better and live a normal life,” she said.

Eli’s journey

Eight-year-old Alonzo Eli Meily had spent most of his life in hospitals because of Caroli’s Disease, a rare condition that widens the bile ducts in the liver.

After years of complications and repeated bleeding, his parents considered going abroad for treatment but decided to trust the local team led by Dr. Vanessa de Villa, head of TMC’s Liver Center.

By March 2025, preparations for his transplant were underway, and his mother, Maricor, was found to be a perfect match.

On 28 August 2025, she became her son’s living donor. Today, Eli is back home, recovering and rediscovering life as any child should.

Clyden’s miracle

Nine-month-old Clyden Reid Herrera faced severe internal bleeding from liver failure, but neither of his parents could donate. His aunt, Precious, stepped forward.

On 3 September 2025, she donated part of her liver to save her nephew’s life.

“After donating just a small part of my liver, I was able to save a life — my nephew’s,” Precious said tearfully. “Seeing him recover makes every bit of sacrifice worth it.”

Turning point

“These cases mark a turning point,” said Dr. De Villa, who also heads the TMC-RMC Joint Liver Transplant Program. “We want every Filipino to know that a liver transplant is possible here at home. Our goal is to make this treatment more accessible, hopefully through PhilHealth’s Z Benefit Packages.”

For the Lauroras, Meilys and Herreras, hope no longer required a flight abroad — only faith, courage and a dedicated Filipino medical team.

For more information about liver transplantation in the Philippines, contact the Center for Liver Health and Transplantation at (02) 8988-1000 ext. 6505.

The Medical City is the Philippines’ largest healthcare network operating under a single brand. It is composed of one flagship complex in Ortigas, five hospitals (Clark, Laguna, Iloilo, Pangasinan and Guam, USA), and over 70 clinics nationwide.

Annually, it serves over 2 million outpatients and 33,000 inpatients across the system.