Remarkable recovery: Leeds transplant teenager is home

Leeds heart transplant teenager Connor Laws is back at home as he continues his remarkable recovery from his potentially life-saving operation.

Connor, 14, from Osmondthorpe, left Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital on Thursday, less than a month after having the op.

Connor Laws after his op at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital.placeholder image
Connor Laws after his op at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital.

And yesterday his family paid tribute to the Corpus Christi Catholic College student’s bravery amid preparations for an official homecoming celebration at East Leeds ARLFC in Richmond Hill on September 2.

Connor’s dad, Jevan, told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “This has been the longest eight weeks of all our lives but our east Leeds warrior has bounced back like we all knew he would.”

Connor Laws with East Leeds ARLFC's Janice Crawford, who helped organise a recent fundraiser for the teenager.placeholder image
Connor Laws with East Leeds ARLFC's Janice Crawford, who helped organise a recent fundraiser for the teenager.

Connor will need to make weekly trips up to Newcastle for the next 12 weeks for tests.

And although he is back home, he is still being treated as if he is in isolation, meaning he can have no contact with large groups of people for the time being.

Connor, who plays for East Leeds ARLFC’s U14s side, has suffered asthma for most of his life but otherwise has always seemed fit and healthy.

Checks carried out after his admission to Leeds General Infirmary in April with stomach pains and sickness, though, showed he had a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy.

Celebrating 135 years of telling Leeds' stories
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice