While some adults have had to wait weeks, even months, for an organ transplant, fortunately for this five-month-old, he only had to wait a little under an hour.
And, according to five-month-old Daniel McCabe’s tale, it all boils down to timing.
Shortly after his birth, Daniel, who was born in Wisconsin in the U.S., was diagnosed with a rare disorder known as biliary atresia, which causes scarring in the liver as well as blocks the vital bile ducts.
Upon entering Lurie Children’s Hospital in the U.S. to be evaluated earlier this month, his condition quickly deteriorated to the point that doctors had no choice but to resort to seeking a liver transplant for the sick youngster.
As reported by ABC 13, his pediatric liver specialist Dr Saeed Mohammed says, “Daniel was deteriorating fairly rapidly, even for this disease. Usually it’s not so fast, and he really needed that liver as soon as possible.”
So, at 10:15am on December 13, Daniel’s name was placed on the waiting list for a new liver.
Then the unthinkable happened…
Just 40 minutes after being placed on this wait list, Dr Saeed was notified that a potential donor match had just become available on the donated organs list.
The donor organ then arrived at the hospital and, because Daniel only needed a small part of this liver, the organ was able to save the lives of Daniel as well as a second recipient – an adult at a neighbouring hospital.
Daniel is said to be doing well and expected to leave the hospital with his family in February.
And this is just the heartwarming news that 2016 needed…
