Seeking Live Liver Donor
My Story
Hello, I am Trish Tivnan, one of the 11,500 patients on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) list for a liver transplant in the United States. Approximately 8000 transplants are performed annually, and of these transplants, about 360 are live donor liver transplants.
I suffer from Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), an autoimmune disease that destroys the bile ducts. PSC is an extremely painful disease and can lead to bile duct or liver cancer. No treatment exists save palliative care measures, and unless a transplant is performed, death is the outcome.
How Can You Help?
My transplant hepatologists and Northwestern Medicine have encouraged me to seek a live donor. The donor must have Type A or Type O Blood, be between age 20 and age 55, and be in good health. The portion of the donor’s liver will grow back within 3 months as the liver is the only organ in the human body that regenerates.
Contact
If you would like to learn more about donation or consider being my donor, please contact the liver transplant program at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, Il: 312-695-0340. All medical costs are covered by my insurance. The information you share with the transplant team will be kept confidential.
Thank you,
Trish Tivnan