Ben Hardwick

Benjamin Hardwick (6 December 1981 – 23 March 1985) was Britain's youngest liver transplant patient. He became a celebrity through appearing on the BBC television programme That's Life! after his parents appealed for more awareness of organ donation when their son, who suffered from biliary atresia, urgently needed a transplant. Ben became the first child in the UK to have a liver transplant. Tragically, that transplant failed and he died of complications following a second transplant 15 months later, a few months after his third birthday. However, in the course of the appeal and following his death, tens of thousands of pounds were raised by the public in Ben’s name to support children like him with serious liver disease.^[1]

In his memory, his family set up the Ben Hardwick Memorial Fund, which aimed to offer financial support to the families of children who suffer from primary liver disease.^[2] British celebrity Esther Rantzen, who hosted That's Life! and co-wrote a book based on Ben's story, was a trustee on the fund's board. The Ben Hardwick Fund took over the work of the Ben Hardwick Memorial Fund in 1997. Esther Rantzen is patron of the present fund, which helps children suffering from primary liver disease with costs associated with their illness.^[3]

In 1985 Marti Webb released as a tribute a cover version of the Michael Jackson song "Ben", which reached number 5 in the UK charts, the royalties being donated to the Memorial Fund.

Footnotes

External links

• Ben Hardwick Fund information site