Pig Heart Boy

Description

A powerful story about friendship, loyalty and family around this topical and controversial issue’ – Guardian’An engrossing story’ – Daily Telegraph’

That’s all I ever did – watch and listen. I was always a spectator, never a participant. I didn’t call that living. I was alive – but that was all.’Cameron is thirteen, and all he wants is a ‘normal’ life – friends, swimming, school, family.But his life is far from normal. Not every thirteen-year-old desperately needs a new heart because theirs doesn’t work properly.Finally, one doctor offers hope.Cameron could – if he and his parents agree – take part in a radical and controversial procedure involving the transplant of a pig’s heart into his human body.It’s risky. And it’s never been done before . . .

While Cameron comes to terms with the idea, he finds the world around him is much less accepting.But surely everyone will understand that it’s better to have a pig’s heart that works than a human heart that doesn’t – won’t they . . .?’A sensitive and informative story that provides a vivid insight into transgenics and xenotransplantations and still manages to squeeze in the inevitable guinea-pig and piggy in the middle jokes’ – Independent