Saving Lives One Organ at a Time

“It was like being born at 27 years old.”

That is how Anna Anderson described receiving a kidney and pancreas double transplant 18 years ago in June 1997. Anderson suffered from juvenile diabetes since a child and needed new organs to survive and thrive.

“My mother always called me her little butterfly, because I was always in a cocoon, in a bubble. But when I received the transplant, I received my wings and began to fly,” Anderson said. “I was always trapped. I couldn’t do this, and I couldn’t do that. That’s when my life began, at age 27.”

While her new pancreas is still fighting off the diabetes, Anderson’s body has rejected the transplanted kidney. She must go to dialysis to function, and she is on the organ transplant waiting list again.

The last time she was on the waiting list for three years before she received a donation from a cadaver. She wrote a letter to the donor family to thank them for making the decision to donate their son’s organs.

“I thanked them for giving me the chance of life. On my side, I did cry for a while because I knew that somebody would have to pass in order for me to live,” she said. “It was hard for a while, but I thank God.”

Anderson said that without that first transplant, she would never have been able to see her nieces and nephews grow up. This time, Anderson has been on the waiting list for two years. For a moment, Anderson thought she would receive a transplant from a living donor. A high school classmate offered up her own kidney to save Anderson’s life, but unfortunately, the kidney was not a match. Anderson said she knows that everything – from her diagnosis, to her first transplant, to the failed kidney match – is making her a better person.

“Everything is on God’s plan, and I just go with whatever He’s ready to do. Just like now, I’m giving my testimony to whoever will listen, because ultimately it’s His story,” she said.

In his short life, 10-month-old Briggs Elliser has also been on the transplant waiting list multiple times. His mother Brittany Elliser said shortly after he was born, he was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare liver disease. Briggs got on the transplant waiting list on May 20, and had his first transplant on June 25. Almost immediately, Briggs rejected the new liver.

“We went to sleep that night thinking that we would have to do everything to make him comfortable. We were in complete shock,” Brittany said. “They then told us early that morning that they would relist him.”

Briggs received his second transplant six days later. Again, he rejected the organ.

“We didn’t get the third transplant until July 17. As soon as he got that one, everything clicked,” Brittany said.

Briggs Elliser received his third liver transplant on July 17, 2015.
Photo via Blessings for Briggs

Brittany said she felt she could finally stop holding her breath once her son successfully adapted to his new liver. He is behind his peers in reaching milestones, but Brittany said the doctors believe he will catch up.

“He’s recovering as good as he can be,” she said. “He’s normal in every other aspect.”

Both Brittany and Anderson said they could not have gotten through the transplant without faith in God, and the helpfulness of family, friends, nurses and doctors. Brittany created a Facebook page called “Blessings for Briggs” to ask for prayer requests. One post even reached 85 thousand people.

“It’s reassuring to know that that many people are praying for you,” she said.

Joey Boudreaux, Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency chief clinical officer, said that on the other side of the transplant, faith is also important. LOPA organizes all the logistics of transplants, and the staff also helps donor families in any way necessary. Many times, that includes calling donor families’ clergy to provide emotional and spiritual support. Boudreaux said that all major religions support organ donation.

“Our staff works closely with these different entities to make sure everyone is on the same page and that the family is supported,” Boudreaux said. “Even if they have not said yes to the opportunity to donate, we still provide support in any way we can.”

A person can only be an organ donor if a brain death occurs, Boudreaux said. At that point, the hospital’s doctor will inform the patient’s family of the brain death. After giving the family time to absorb the news, LOPA staff will then talk to the family about the opportunity of organ donation. Boudreaux said that besides saving other people’s lives, people should consider becoming organ donors because it helps families grieve properly.

“They become extended family to these recipients and their family, so that is to me just as impactful as saving lives. When you say ‘yes’ and that time comes, you’ll be able to extend a recipient’s life 20 or beyond years. Obviously, you can’t put a price tag on that,” he said.

For this reason, Boudreaux said education and awareness are some of the most important priorities LOPA has. While it is important for people to register to be organ donors, it is equally important for families to be aware of that decision. Ultimately, the family makes the donation decision. Families should not have to reach through their grief and try to remember if they think organ donation is a good thing. If the public is educated enough, organ donation should be an easy decision, Boudreaux said.

LOPA Community Educator Lori Steele specifically reaches out to churches, schools and civic groups to inform the public about the benefits of organ donation. Formerly a television news reporter, she got involved in LOPA because of a story she covered about an organ donor’s celebration of life.

“He died, but he saved lives. That’s when I signed up to be an organ donor,” Steele said. “I had tears in my eyes. You’re not supposed to be emotionally involved when you’re covering a story, but I couldn’t help it… Death will happen with or without organ donation. With organ donation, lives will be saved and a legacy will be left.”

The United Network for Organ Sharing is responsible for matching donors with recipients. According to UNOS.org, there are currently 122,658 patients on the national transplant waiting list. Just fewer than 2,000 of those patients are Louisianans. Most of the time, a Louisiana donor will be matched with a Louisiana recipient because of time constraints. However, if a donor has a rare blood type or organ size, a better match might be found outside of the state.

“The ultimate goal is less deaths on the waiting list,” Boudreaux said. “We have a very giving state. We have a different culture than other places. They say ‘yes’ here more often than other states.”

Brittany is especially thankful for the multiple donors and their families who gave her son a second chance at life.

“It’s the most selfless thing you could do,” she said. “Our only chance for Briggs to grow up to be a normal little boy was through organ donation.”

Anyone interested in becoming an organ donor can register at his or her local Office of Motor Vehicles or at donatelife.net.


By Danielle Kelley

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A New Liver, the Same Faith

Savannah Smith was slowly dying since the day she was born. But when she received a new liver after high school graduation, she got a second chance at life.

“I was sick on and off my whole life,” Smith said. “It was a part of God’s purpose for me, part of my life. I know it’s helped me develop as a person.”

At four weeks old, Savannah was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare liver disease. At five weeks, she was operated on for the first time. In 19 years, she has endured dozens of additional surgeries.

“The doctors said, ‘Medicine doesn’t fix this. If she doesn’t have this surgery, she’s going to die. If she does have this surgery, there’s still a high percentage that she still may die, and she’ll definitely will die at some point early without a transplant,” said Shelley Smith, Savannah’s mother. “That readjusted our whole life.”

In and out of the hospital, Savannah’s health was like a rollercoaster, Shelley said. A high in her life was being voted Dutchtown High School homecoming queen, shortly followed by one of the longest lows. Savannah could no longer attend school, and was forced to study from home during her senior year.

Savannah was crowned Dutchtown High School homecoming queen,
just weeks before sitting out her senior year due to her illness.

“The most difficult part was not being able to do stuff with my friends, and not getting to go to school since I love school,” Savannah said.

Savannah got so sick that she had brain damage. She couldn’t walk in a straight line, and couldn’t remember asking the same question multiple times. She slept 16 hours a day, and during the few hours she was awake, she did schoolwork online.

Savannah needed a new liver to survive. On April 26, 2014, Savannah became the No. 5 patient on the national pediatric liver waiting list. She was 17 years old.

Despite this, Savannah walked – crooked though it was – across the stage at her high school graduation with a 3.8 GPA in May. Unbeknownst to her, at another school that same month, her liver donor was also celebrating his graduation.

On May 31, 2014, Savannah received a new liver.

She said this wouldn’t have been possible without God’s timing and miracles. She was admitted into the hospital the week before the transplant with a high fever when the doctors discovered five infections. But in just three days, the infections disappeared. The transplant would not have been possible if she had any infections.

“They don’t know how, other than God, which is what I say. I was waiting to be discharged whenever the doctor came in and said, ‘We have a possible liver for you,’” Savannah said.

After she and her family got over the initial shock, they began to pray.

“I was praying for my donor’s family, just knowing what they were going through as we rejoice that I’m getting this second chance,” Savannah said.

A drunk driver killed her donor, a 17-year-old boy, the night of his high school graduation. The similarities between him and Savannah were uncanny, and the Smith family grieved for the donor’s family.

“We had already been praying for the family for a long time,” said Madison Smith, Savannah’s younger sister. “She just graduated and he just graduated, and he didn’t even make it to the day after. It was difficult knowing that it could have been my sister we lost instead of their son.”

As the nurses and doctors prepared Savannah for the transplant, her family said it was difficult telling her goodbye.

“It was really nerve-racking to understand that this may be the last time I see my sister alive, and the fact that this also may be the one time that will save my sister and keep her alive,” Madison said.

Throughout the ordeal, Savannah’s faith never wavered, though her mother acknowledged she was anxious.

“Savannah was the only one of us who wasn’t nervous. She said she knew God had it all in control,” Shelley said. “The rest of us weren’t quite so faithful. We were all very human. She never loss her faith or had doubt.”

“She told us she was ready no matter the outcome,” Shelley said. “That’s also hard to hear from your little girl, to know she was prepared for death.”

After seven hours, Savannah woke up with a smile on her face.

“It felt like a choir of angels,” Shelley said. “She was smiling behind the breathing tube, she signed she loved me and she squeezed my hand to let me know she was ok.”

Two days after the surgery, Savannah could walk in a straight line. One month later, she went home with her family. But the roller coaster ride wasn’t over. She suffered complications from the transplant and had two more surgeries in July 2014. While she has no more liver issues, Savannah is still sick.

“Unfortunately, people think that once you’re transplanted, all your worries are gone. She’s not dying every day like she was, but… now you have a different set of problems,” Shelley said. “She’ll never be what society calls normal. She has her normal, and she’s still not there yet. This will impact our family for life.”

Savannah had to sit out her freshman year of college to recover, but finally enrolled at Southeastern Louisiana University in August 2015 along with her sister Madison. They are both studying nursing.

Savannah and Madison began their freshman
year together at Southeastern in August.

“Going back to school is amazing,” Savannah said. “I’m healthy now, and I want to reach my dream job of being a nurse. I’m thankful for the opportunity.”

Savannah said she had a special bond with all her nurses at each hospital. She hopes to specialize in pediatric oncology.

“My nurses made all the difference. They’d come in and braid my hair and eat pizza with me,” she said. “I’m hoping to use my experiences to work with the patients and their parents.”

Throughout it all, Savannah has had a smile on her face and trust in God. She may not be 100 percent healthy, but “she’s living,” Madison said.

“She runs and works out. She goes to school full-time with me. She speaks for the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency. She’s living. Before the transplant, she’d be in bed right now sleeping,” Madison said. She pointed out the window at her backyard. “Look, she’s outside playing with the dogs right now.”

Above everything, Savannah is thankful for a second chance at life.

“I really couldn’t express my gratitude to [the donor family] to honor his decision to be a donor,” she said. “I want to share and promote organ donor awareness even more than I was, and talk to everybody about how important it is to appreciate the little things.”

Savannah finished third in her division at the 2015
Rabalais Run for Life, which promotes organ donor awareness.

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