“The real heroes of transplants are the organ donors.”
Jerry had lived with nonalcoholic cirrhosis of the liver for several years, waiting for a transplant from a deceased organ donor. But his situation was becoming dire, and doctors told him his time was running out.
“They said, ‘You’re going to need a transplant, or you’re going to die,’” he says. “Waiting for an organ was probably not going to happen.”
As his condition continued to get worse, Jerry’s doctors at UPMC told him his best chance for survival was to receive a living-donor liver transplant.
Jerry’s newly engaged daughter was a match and volunteered to become his donor. When Jerry hesitated, she insisted.
“She said that nobody was going to walk her down the aisle but me,” he recalls.
The transplant procedure was a success for both Jerry and his daughter. And a year later, his daughter got her wish when he walked her down the aisle at her wedding.
UPMC is a national leader in living-donor liver transplants, which save the lives of people like Jerry every day.
“The real heroes of transplants are the organ donors,” Jerry says. “Without them, none of this is possible.”
At UPMC, Life Changing Medicine means helping families get through hard times.
Stories like this one have helped UPMC earn local, national, and global honors over the years. See how our commitment to Life Changing Medicine continues to receive recognition.
