BIRTHDAY girl Tegan Ross had more reasons to celebrate her first birthday than most.

Family and friends yesterday joined Tegan, who underwent a liver transplant aged only eight months, to celebrate a remarkable first year.

Tegan, from Darlington, was allowed home after her birth last year, but returned to hospital only six weeks later because she was small and jaundiced.

She was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare condition caused by an inflammation that damages the bile ducts.

Following an unsuccessful operation to remove the ducts and increase bile flow, she was placed on the liver transplant list.

In February, she underwent a successful transplant operation at St James Hospital, Leeds.

Her mother, Michelle Greene, said: "She is still quite small, but she is getting bigger and she has got a full head of hair."

Tegan still returns to the hospital every week.

And although she has been taken off most of her medicine, she will still need to take some for the rest of her life.

Family and friends joined Tegan for a party and cut a cake to celebrate her first birthday. Ms Greene said: "To be honest, I did not think it would ever happen.

"For her to reach her first birthday is fantastic. She is improving every day.

"If this had been a couple of years ago, she would never have survived. She has been through so much in the year."

Her favourite present was a bike, although she is still too small to properly ride it.

Following her experience, Ms Greene has also joined the donors' register.

She said: "There are still lots of other babies waiting to get a liver. I joined the list about two months ago.

"In my experience, it is something easy to do. You can not only save babies' lives, but other people's lives.

"The effect it has had on her life prompted me to do it. A few years ago, I carried around a card, but it did not mean as much.

"We have got through it, but other families might not."

To join the NHS organ donor register, call 0845 60 60 400.