Yukon tyke 'typical' 2-year-old after life-saving liver transplant

Emmett Smith's family is celebrating the second anniversary of his release from Edmonton's Stollery Children's Hospital after a life-saving liver transplant.

The child from Carcross, Yukon, was born with a rare form of liver cancer. His father, Mike Smith, donated part of his own liver for the transplant in May 2015.

The first weeks after the surgery were not easy for Emmett or the family, said his mother Charlotte Francis, because he was constantly sick.

"The good thing, he was always smiling, him and I were always smiling, he was always happy, he would always just love all the nurses, everybody just loved him," said Francis.

Now, the family no longer has to live their lives day-to-day worrying about Emmett's health.

"He's your typical, average two year old, like just gets into things, non-stop eating, he's doing really well," she said.

Smith is a stay-at-home dad with Emmett.

"You really can't say how the day's going to be, it's just how he makes it," said Smith.

"He's busy all day, he's usually getting into something," he said.

Smith said Emmett was on a feeding tube for a period, but one day his son pulled it out on his own and has been eating regularly ever since.

Francis said he will take anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life, but now he's a regular kid, playing outside and loves to swim.

"We try to make it all normal for him."