Teresa, a resident of California, Pa., was scrolling through Facebook one morning when a shared post from a friend appeared on her timeline. The post was from Darla, whom she did not know at the time. In the post, Darla shared her husband, Mike’s, need for a living-donor liver transplant.
"I saw the post because Darla and I had a mutual friend on Facebook. I came across it that morning. I kept scrolling through my Facebook feed, but throughout the day, I kept going back to that one post," Teresa says. “My father died of cirrhosis when I was 24 – when he passed away, there was nothing we could do.”
Mike’s story stuck with Teresa and she wanted to help him if she could. She read the criteria to be a living-liver donor and decided to register.
The Condition: Cirrhosis
Mike is originally from Latrobe, Pa. He lives an active lifestyle – he runs a jewelry store, enjoys working out and golfing, and travels a lot with his family.
“We were just enjoying our lives and never expected Mike’s liver disease to come out of nowhere,” Darla says.
Mike was diagnosed with cirrhosis – or scarring of the liver – caused by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). He experienced a host of complications, including ascites, or buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Ascites occurs because cirrhosis affects the liver’s ability to filter blood from the digestive track, which causes pressure to build up in nearby blood vessels.
He then developed esophageal varices, which is when the veins in the esophagus enlarge. This condition can be life-threatening as the veins can burst and bleed spontaneously.
Mike’s condition progressed quickly and doctors estimated that he had two months to live if he didn’t receive a liver transplant.
“I was in the hospital throughout the month of March (2021),” Mike says. “I was quickly going downhill.”
The Path to Living-Donor Liver Transplant
Teresa messaged Darla on Facebook the same day that she saw her post about Mike’s need for a living donor. The next day, she registered to be Mike’s living donor at livingdonorreg.upmc.com.
“I didn’t even tell Mike for another day or so because I wasn’t sure if Teresa’s response was for real,” Darla says. “I didn’t even know how to answer her at first. I couldn’t believe that a stranger would do this for another stranger.”
Yet Teresa never had any hesitation about being Mike’s donor. About a week after registering, the team at the UPMC Liver Transplant Program scheduled her pre-donation evaluation. The evaluation includes blood work, imaging tests, and psychical and psychological examinations.
Teresa was a match to donate to Mike, and their surgery was scheduled in early April.
Pictured (from left to right) Darla, Mike and Teresa.
The First Meeting
At first, it was hard for Darla and Mike to believe that someone would serve as a living donor for another person they had never met. The process was completely new to them.
Mike was discharged from the hospital about a week before the transplant. He and Darla decided to meet Teresa in-person at a restaurant with her family so they could get to know her.
“That meeting was absolutely amazing. Teresa was so focused on Mike and wanting to get to know him,” Darla says. “We’ve become very close with Teresa since then.”
The Result: Back to Everyday Life
Mike and Teresa both recovered in the hospital for a short period of time following the transplant before being discharged home.
Darla served as Mike’s caregiver. The caregiver role is essential to the liver transplant process – as Mike’s caregiver, Darla took time off work to help with his ne
w medication schedule, drive him to follow-up appointments after transplant, and help with other daily activities. She didn’t take the responsibility lightly.
“The whole process was very scary and intimidating. I felt like his life was in my hands. But we got through it,” Darla says.
Overall, Mike and Teresa’s recoveries were smooth, and they’re both back to their normal lives.
Mike and Teresa are both thankful for the care they received. “Every person who treated me was the best of the best. The care was amazing,” Mike says. “Before the transplant, people told us we should explore other options, and we said, ‘No. We have UPMC so close to our home.’ I thank God for Teresa, my doctors, and UPMC for saving my life.”
Mike, Darla, and Teresa encourage others to learn more about living donation and its benefits.
“It’s just simply amazing how another organ can be transplanted into you,” Darla says. “But what’s even more amazing is that people like Teresa just step up for strangers like that. It’s just amazing to me how it all unfolded.”
“As decent human beings, it’s our responsibility to help others in need. This was my time to help,” Teresa added.
Mike and Teresa’s treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
