Teyah Pewhairangi suffers from life-threatening condition biliary artesia and was taken to hospital last month after she started bleeding internally.
The 10-month-old baby's condition means bile builds up in her liver, because ducts meant to drain it to the gall bladder are not working properly.
The child's Katikati mother, Kataraina Pewhairangi (18), was a blood match, but said she could not be assessed as a live organ donor because of an ethics committee ruling that set the lower age limit at 21.
Mr Cunliffe said he had made some calls and understood her age was no longer a problem, and the mother could be a donor.
A spokeswoman for his office could not say last night if the ethics committee rule had been changed.
Mr Cunliffe said he had been moved by the story. ‘‘I have been assured that Teyah's case will be assessed on exactly the same criteria as any other case involving an organ transplant,'' he said.
‘‘It is one of the most rewarding aspects of this job to be able to pick up the phone and make a difference.''
Earlier in the day, the liver transport surgeon involved in the case, Prof Stephen Munn, told Radio New Zealand he had asked the National Ethics Committee to change the age limit to 18.
There had been two other cases where people under 21 had wanted to donate but could not, he said. In those cases, the patient received a donor organ from someone who had died.
