Three-Year-Old Florida Toddler First to Survive Five-Organ Transplant

A three-year-old toddler is the first child to survive a five-organ transplant.

Adonis Ortiz of Florida was born with serious birth defects; his intestines were formed outside the body.His only hope of survival was to undergo a five-organ transplant. The condition called gut syndrome, left Adonis incapable of absorbing sufficient nutrients for the body. Because of this he was fed intravenously initially.

But the problems did not cease for the little kid. He developed several other physical complications. His liver began to fail. This forced doctors to turn to the option of a five-organ transplant. In October the parents of the little boy got a call and they rushed him to hospital.

He underwent a multi-transplant surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Adonis got a new liver, pancreas, stomach, and small and large intestines. All the organs came from the same donor. The parents were unsure if he would survive the major surgery.

"Everything they would keep telling me is that he would have a 50/50 chance," Adonis' mother, Aracelis Ortiz told USA Today. "He is really strong. After all his surgeries, he comes out with a smile."

"For you to have a donor, a baby must die. That was the hardest part for us." Adonis' grandmother, Elvira Cruz, said. "I know it's all God's doing. And I know there were a lot of people praying for him."

"I just get on my knees, and say God Please, just do what you have to do," Adonis' father, Emir Ortiz said.

The toddler is doing well and is under observation.