A teenager has begged a judge to help her sick brother beat a “death sentence”.
Ruby Verden, 15, spoke out days before a court decides if William, 17, can have a kidney transplant and continue dialysis that keeps him alive.
His kidneys are now almost totally useless after he was diagnosed with a rare disease two years ago.
Treatment can be difficult because he has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Doctors believe a transplant is unlikely to work and want to move William to palliative care – which the family calls a death sentence.
Today Ruby told of the bond she shares with the brother she calls Wilma.
She said: “If anyone deserves this our Wilma does. It’d be like having Christmas every day to keep my brother alive.
“William always makes me laugh. Even though he’s going through so much he always smiles, he never complains about anything.
“It breaks my heart but I’m so proud of how well he adapts to situations given his disabilities.
“For William to have a transplant would mean so much, because we could go on new adventures.”
William has dialysis at Manchester Children’s Hospital four days a week.
But he finds medical treatment difficult and sometimes pulls off plasters.
He has focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), which attacks the kidneys’ filtering units.
An expert instructed by the family says a transplant will give him a 50% chance of a cure but the hospital disagrees.
Parents Amy McLennan, 45, and Will Verden, 44, from Lancaster, have appealed for organ donors after they and other relatives were ruled unsuitable. Over 40 have volunteered.
Amy said: “People have signed up to be tested but they can’t go much further because we need to wait for the hearing.”
On February 28 a High Court judge will preside over a four-day Court of Protection case which will decide William’s future.
Amy – who also has son Levi, 24 – added: “It’s a race against time. This is potentially our last few weeks with William, which is soul-destroying.
“With a new kidney he could enjoy a bright future and we hope the court will agree he should have this chance.”
Amy says William is “doing great”, attending special school, playing pool, laser tag, bingo and having golf lessons. Her lawyer Liz Davis, of Irwin Mitchell, said Amy strongly believes her son has not received the best possible care because of his disabilities.
Ms Davis added: “While we are encouraged that the trust has been working with the family to try to reach agreement on William’s care, we’re determined to ensure their voice is heard.”
Manchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust said: “This is a very difficult time for William and his family and we will continue to support them.
“Our clinicians have worked very hard to enable William’s treatment to take place so far, and he continues to have his haemodialysis, as agreed with his family, subject to any change in his clinical condition.
“The decision on whether a transplant would be in his best interest is a very complex one, which is why the Court of Protection is being asked to make a decision.”
A family petition has topped 2,000 signatures, and a fundraising page to cover legal costs has been launched.
