Liver transplantation, which once was an experimental procedure of no practical interest, has become the preferred treatment for infants and children dying of almost all non-neoplastic end-stage liver diseases. Liver replacement is being provided by many well-trained teams on all of the continents, as is evident from the program today--the first international symposium on pediatric liver transplantation. I have been honored in giving the first paper in the process of introducing the remarkable work of a gifted younger generation of physicians and surgeons.