A women’s rugby player from Royston, South Yorkshire donated part of her liver to save the life of a baby she has never met. 

Courtney Evans, 25, underwent the 10-hour operation at St. James’s Hospital in Leeds, becoming their youngest-ever liver donor. 

The procedure took place two days after she played in the semi-final of the Women’s Rugby League (League 2) with her former club, the Halifax Panthers. 

She told the BBC: “I play rugby, so having scars on my legs from studs and knocks here and there, having one on my sternum doesn’t phase me.”

She is hoping to return to rugby and play in the first match of the season with Wakefield Trinity on 23 March.  

Miss Evans was inspired to volunteer for the surgery because of her day job working in CT Radiology at the Mid Yorkshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and by caring for her father who is diabetic.

According to the NHS, the average wait time for children needing liver transplants from deceased donors is 74 days, but some wait up to a year and a half. 

The liver is the only internal organ that can regenerate, so healthy people can donate part of their liver either to a known friend or family member or to someone on the transplant list. 

Patient confidentiality means Miss Evans does not know the details of the baby her liver was donated to, but she has received updates on their progress. 

Miss Evans has been nominated for the Yorkshire Choice Awards Inspirational Individual of the Year 2025. 

She told the Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation: “Having since heard about the progress of the baby, it’s so overwhelming to think, ‘I’ve saved a life!’ It’s really hard to put into words, but it is something that I’ll never forget.”