"Judah was born with a rare pediatric liver disease called Biliary Atresia. He was born without a gallbladder and his biliary system and bile ducts were not formed correctly, stopping flow of bile from the liver to the intestines. At 7 weeks old, Judah underwent a Kasai procedure, in which the intestines were directly connected to his liver in hopes to allow bile drainage and save his native liver. The Kasai is only successful in about 1/3 of infants. Unfortunately, Judah’s Kasai failed pretty quickly and his health declined rapidly. He was in end stage liver failure before he turned 6 months old and was listed on the United Network of Organ Sharing’s liver transplant wait list. After being listed for only 5 weeks, Judah received a perfect match organ and underwent his liver transplant at 8 months old. Since his transplant in June of 2021, he has become a picture of health. He is growing and thriving more every day. He is now 17 months old and unless you lifted his shirt to see his scar, you would never know he had a transplant. Although there will always be struggles that come with an organ transplant such as immune suppression and frequent appointments, Judah will now be able to live a relatively normal life! We are forever grateful for our donor hero and the decision that their family made to give hope in the midst of their tragedy. We will honor and remember Judah’s donor in every aspect. It is because of them that we still have our baby boy with us today. You too can save a life like Judah’s. Donate life!" -Judah's mama, Katie
