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Family can be one of the most important components in life. In almost every aspect of any journey, most people can count on their relatives to help overcome the challenges ahead. In this case, isn’t always your only option when it comes to help.

By taking part in a living-donor liver transplant exchange, 4 individuals were able to be a part of one life-changing moment that they will all cherish for the rest of their lives.

A living-donor liver transplant exchange starts with a person who signs up to become a living donor but doesn’t have a specific individual in mind to receive their donation. This generous person donates their liver to a patient on the waiting list who has an incompatible living donor.

In this case, this donor is incompatible only to this particular patient due to the anatomy, size or blood type. Both are perfectly healthy to donate to someone else on the wait list and in return, this donor donates for someone else on the waiting list, helping two patients at the same time.

Meet Dave

Dave Wagus wanted nothing more than to become a living donor for his neighbor who was in desperate need of a liver transplant. After a CT scan revealed that he had fatty liver, Dave was unable to donate. He chose to remain on the living donor list as a nondirected donor and was told to lose 20 pounds to reduce the amount of fat collected in his liver. A year later, Dave was heath enough to become a living donor .

A nondirected donor is someone who seeks to donate an organ but does not know the recipient who will receive their donation.

“I never considered living donation until my neighbor reached out for help,” Dave said.

“I chose to remain on the list because I wanted to help someone in need.”

A month after being cleared to donate, Dave was matched to a patient on the liver transplant waiting list. Richard Scida would get part of Dave’s liver.

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Meet Richard and Taylor

Richard

Richard was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in January 2018 and needed a liver transplant. In the spring of 2019, Richard was referred to the Liver Transplant Evaluation Clinic at UPMC Hamot by his doctor and placed on the liver transplant waiting list at UPMC.

“After so long of being on the waiting list, I was elated when I was told I would be getting a new liver.”

Richard’s niece, Taylor Jacob, hoped to donate part of her liver to her uncle. But the transplant evaluation revealed that she was not a match and was unable to be his donor.

Like Dave, Taylor remained on the living donor list. In April 2020, she was able to donate to Laura Wood, a patient on the waiting list for whom she was a better match.

“I was a little nervous being told I wasn’t compatible with my uncle,” Taylor said.

“But I’m glad I was able to make myself a part of this process so I could help someone else.”

Meet Laura

Laura was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis in 2013 and was asymptomatic until the birth of her daughter in 2016.

“I received a call from my transplant coordinator at UPMC in early April 2020 and was told I would be able to receive a transplant thanks to a very generous donor. I was in complete shock. I had a few people interested in donating, but they did not work out. I made a Facebook page and even paid for ads on Facebook” Laura said.

“However, I never gave up hope. The one thing you cannot do is give up.”

The Results

Laura (right) and Taylor (left)

Thanks to Dave, Taylor, and the liver transplant team at UPMC, Laura and Richard had successful liver transplant surgeries in April 2020.

“Taylor is such an amazing person and truly is my hero and my angel. We went from being complete strangers to liver sisters. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met in my life,” Laura said.

Both Laura and Taylor are doing well with their recoveries and still keep in touch with one another.

“Laura is such a special person, and we will have that bond forever,” Taylor said.

Dave had such a great experience with the liver transplant process that he wants to become a living kidney donor.

“I’m still healthy enough to donate, and I just want to help the people who need it most,” Dave said.

Richard had a healthy recovery and is back to doing what he loves most — working on wood projects in his shop. He is building a kitchen island for his daughter.

“During the day, I feel like I’m 30 years old again,” Richard said.

“If it weren’t for Taylor, Dave, and UPMC, my life would be completely different, and I thank everyone who was a part of this journey.”

You Can Help

If you’re thinking about becoming a living donor for someone in need, learn more about living-donor organ transplants.

About Transplant Services

For more than four decades, UPMC Transplant Services has been a leader in organ transplantation. Our clinicians have performed more than 20,000 organ transplant procedures, making UPMC one of the foremost organ transplant centers in the world. We are home to some of the world’s foremost transplant experts and take on some of the most challenging cases. Through research, we have developed new therapies that provide our patients better outcomes — so organ recipients can enjoy better health with fewer restrictions. Above all, we are committed to providing compassionate, complete care that can change – and save – our patients’ lives. Visit our website to find a provider near you.