Colorado girl gets new liver thanks to ‘complete stranger’ on Facebook

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — A 4-year-old lady resides a full, wholesome life due to her new liver that got here from a whole stranger.

Jeremy and Emily Knakmuhs are sharing their household’s story in honor of Donate Life Month, which is in April. They are saying after their twins have been born in 2018, they observed nearly instantly one thing was unsuitable with the well being of their daughter Kennedie.

“With twins, it’s very straightforward to see how they’re rising. He was. She wasn’t,” Jeremy Knakmuhs stated. 

In line with the couple, a pediatrician initially recognized Kennedie with acid reflux disease issues and despatched her residence with medicines and a feeding tube. By the point she was 6 months previous, nonetheless, they observed her well being was quickly declining.

After an emergency journey to Youngsters’s Hospital Colorado, Kennedie was recognized with a uncommon genetic illness that causes liver failure known as progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, or PFIC. 

“It’s the place the liver can’t excrete bile usually and so youngsters get extreme itching, like they’ll get up with their bedsheets lined in blood as a result of they’re at all times itching,” Dr. Megan Adams, a transplant surgeon at Youngsters’s Hospital Colorado, stated. 

In line with Adams, Kennedie was affected by poor high quality of life and wanted a liver transplant. Nonetheless, she was not dying and due to this fact not sick sufficient to be eligible for a deceased donor liver. 

“By nature of how the record works, she would have needed to get actually sick earlier than she can be provided a liver,” Adams stated.

‘Full stranger’ presents liver donation

The Knakmuhs dad and mom determined to seek for a residing donor as an alternative. 

“She put out a submit on Fb principally in search of a liver, and we had responses from everywhere in the nation,” Jeremy Knakmuhs stated. 

A lady from Texas, who the couple described as “a whole stranger,” responded that she wished to donate a bit of her liver if she was a match for Kennedie. 

“She stated that she thought that the rationale that she and her husband hadn’t had youngsters but is as a result of she was meant to assist Kennedie first,” Emily Knakmuhs stated.

The pair was a match, and the liver transplant was accomplished in April 2019. 

“Having a dwell donor donate a bit of her liver to Kennedie to permit her to get transplanted earlier than she bought that sick is superb,” Adams stated. 

At this time, Kennedie is a cheerful and wholesome 4-year-old. 

“And that’s been the very best a part of all that is to really watch her have the ability to be a child,” Jeremy Knakmuhs stated.

Dwelling organ donations on the rise

They’re now hoping Kennedie’s story evokes others to contemplate organ donation to assist save extra lives. 

“It doesn’t need to be a lack of life to donate. You generally is a residing donor and it can save you a life that manner too. And it’s a beautiful factor,” Jeremy Knakmuhs stated. 

“I hope individuals can see that this brief period of time of discomfort that you could be and can expertise being a donor results in a complete new life for any person like Kennedie,” Emily Knakmuhs stated. 

In line with Dr. Adams, sick youngsters can spend six months to a 12 months on the ready record for an organ from a deceased donor. Nonetheless, she stated residing donation is turning into extra frequent. 

“In 2021, we did 20 liver transplants which was probably the most we’ve ever carried out within the historical past of this program, and 60% of these have been from residing donors,” Adams stated. 

Donors don’t have to know the affected person or have a recipient in thoughts when deciding to change into a donor. As soon as registered within the database, altruistic donors will likely be contacted if and after they match with somebody in want. =

Youngsters’s Hospital Colorado companions with UCHealth College of Colorado Hospital to carry out transplant surgical procedures. If you need do be evaluated as a possible residing kidney or liver donor you possibly can fill out a well being evaluation by UCHealth.