Our patient stories profile those who have had liver transplants at UPMC. Although everyone’s care experience is unique, we hope that sharing these stories will help prospective patients and their families better understand these procedures and their potential impact on patients’ lives.
Note: These patients' treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
Joey first found out he had liver damage in 1993 when blood tests showed his liver wasn’t working right. But, in 2021, Joey suddenly lost almost 50 pounds, and his health worsened. Joey’s UPMC Center for Liver Care team recommended a liver transplant and advised that a living donor was a good option. After hearing the news, Joey's son, B.J. went through the donor evaluation process.
A living-donor liver transplant exchange starts when a person signs up to become a living donor without having a specific individual in mind for their donation. Instead, they donate a portion of their liver to someone on the waiting list who has an incompatible living donor. After taking part in a living-donor liver transplant exchange, a father and his son are now bonded for life with two strangers.
Arthur was added to the liver transplant waiting list after being diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). He received care close to home at the Liver Transplant Evaluation Clinic at UPMC Williamsport before undergoing a liver transplant in Pittsburgh. “I’m so lucky to have received the liver, and to that individual and their family, I am eternally grateful for the new lease on life I’ve been gifted.
Alan was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in 2008 and was able to manage the disease on his own until 2020, when his disease progressed and his liver began to lose function. Alan's wife, Amanda, was a perfect match and was willing to be his living-liver donor. They traveled from North Carolina to the UPMC Liver Transplant Program in Pittsburgh for the transplant.
After Mike was added to the liver transplant waiting list, his wife, Darla, shared his need for a living donor on social media. Teresa, whom Mike and Darla had not met at this point, saw Darla’s post that same day and registered to be Mike’s living donor.
Renee and Jill know each other from many years of their kids plays on the same sports teams. After Renee was added to the liver transplant waiting list in December 2021, Jill stepped up and registered to be her living donor.
Darnell always knew that his son, Langston, was the kind of person who would do anything for others. Langston’s generous spirit was most evident when he stepped up to become his father’s living-liver donor in March 2023.
After Brian was added to the liver transplant waiting list in summer 2022, a lifelong friend, Dan, stepped up to be his living donor. “He explained the living donation process to me, and in my mind, I’m thinking, ‘I’m doing this if I’m a match,’” Dan says.
Vadim and his family were shocked when he was diagnosed with cirrhosis in 2018. After being added to the transplant waiting list, his wife, Tatiana, offered to be evaluated to be his living donor without hesitation. “I just couldn’t watch Vadim in his condition any longer,” Tatiana says.
Joe was referred to UPMC after being diagnosed with cirrhosis at a local hospital. After he was told that he would need a liver transplant, Joe and his wife, Donna, started spreading the word to find a living donor. A close family friend stepped up to help.
After Eric was diagnosed with primary sclerosis cholangitis (PSC) – a chronic and progressive liver disease – one of his close friends, Isaiah, registered to be his living donor without hesitation. "When I first heard the news, I texted Eric and told him, ‘If you want a piece of my liver, you got it.'"
In 2020, Rick was rushed to the hospital for an eye related injury. During his visit, he was given the surprising news that he had cirrhosis of the liver. When he was told he would need a liver transplant, his sister, Ida, stepped in to be his living donor. Learn more about Rick and Ida's experience at UPMC in Central Pa.
Rebekah first learned about living donation when one of her students needed a kidney and liver transplant. After hearing their story Rebekah felt compelled to become a living donor and donated a portion of her liver and a kidney to two individuals whom she had never met.
In 2017 James was diagnosed with stage 4 liver failure. James was told he would have 18 months to live if he didn't receive a liver transplant. His daughter stepped in to help.
Matt DeSimone was diagnosed with Wilson’s disease in 2008. He kept his disease under control with different medications and frequent doctor visits, until an accident in 2017 changed his way of life.
Family can be one of the most important components in life. In this case, sometimes family isn’t always your only option when it comes to help. By taking part in a living-donor liver transplant exchange, a total of four individuals were able to be a part of one life-changing moment that they will all cherish for the rest of their lives.
Marathon runner Donald King was sipping coffee in his car before his morning training run when he heard a radio commercial about organ donation and becoming a living donor. The father of three whose premature son spent 102 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), instantly knew what he had to do. “I’ve seen how fragile life is. I felt called,” he says.
Mark Logoyda Sr. and his son are about as close as a father and son can be. They share a name, and Mark Jr. and his wife recently moved into a house just down the street from the Logoyda family home in Perryopolis. They also share a liver — a life-saving gift from son to father.
When Wayne was told he had 15 years to live, he started living every day like it was his last. At only 25 years old, he was diagnosed with liver disease. As his symptoms worsened, he started to look for a living donor, and he found one in the most unlikely place.
After 29 years working in the United States military and a life of almost perfect health, Bud was diagnosed with cirrhosis. He needed a transplant, but at 75 years old, he knew that the surgery would be hard on him.
For years, Dean struggled with addiction. He tried his best to stay healthy, but he was too late, and he went into liver failure. He was saved by the selflessness of a complete stranger who he met on Facebook.
As a DEA agent, Frank had led a healthy, active life. But after he was diagnosed with biliary cirrhosis, he spent a decade in and out of the hospital. When his daughter offered to become his living donor, at first he said no. But with some convincing, she would go on to save his life.
One day, Dwayne went home early from work, feeling sick, and took a nap. He woke up a day later in a hospital in Pittsburgh and was told that his liver was failing. Only after receiving his life-saving transplant would he meet his living donor Brian.
Joe St. Clair didn’t know he had liver disease until his wife found him unconscious in bed and rushed to the hospital. He found out he would need a liver transplant if he wanted to survive. Four people offered to donate and were turned away. But then his cousin, Barbara, offered to donate from all the way in Virginia.
For three years, George MacDonald fought cirrhosis, an illness in which healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue, leading to fatigue, weight loss, easy bruising, and discoloration in the skin and eyes. His daughter, Diana, saw he was getting sicker. As a nurse working at UPMC Passavant, she had some sense of what he was going through, and she wanted to help. But she wasn’t sure how."
After enduring extensive treatment for liver cancer, Barb learned that she would soon need a liver transplant. Little did she know that her life would be saved by someone she had not even met yet.
Gary needed a liver transplant due to damage caused by hepatitis C, but didn’t want to ask any family members to make the sacrifice to donate. When his son-in-law Robert heard, he knew he immediately that he would be his living donor.
After learning that his mother was sick and needed a liver transplant, Jeremy Monteverde was determined to help. By being her living donor, he was able to save her life.
Patricia had developed cirrhosis which led to many complications. A living-donor liver transplant was the best solution for Patricia's situation. And her son, Joe, was the perfect match.
When Michael Pitterich learned that he needed a liver transplant, he very quickly started looking for a live donor. A friend volunteered to get tested and found she was a perfect match. Since his transplant, Michael is doing well and will always remember the gift of life his donor gave him.
When Stephanie Fisher learned that her brother-in-law Rick, was sick and in need of a life-saving liver transplant, she was in shock. But, thanks to her selfless decision to become his living donor, Rick has been given a second chance at life and is going great.
Linda’s liver and kidney transplants gave her the chance to enjoy travel with her family.
When Jill Leeper learned that her father was in liver failure, she knew that she needed to do something to help. Knowing that a living-donor liver transplant could save his life, Jill volunteered to get tested. Luckily, she was a perfect match.
In July 2004, Denise received a new liver and a second chance at life.
Susan's liver transplant in June 1982 let her return to her normal life. Now she's enjoying retirement.
In 2019, Terry received a new liver from his neighbor and friend, Danielle. After this surgery, he went on to create an organization where cancer patients and caregivers can receive hope, healing, education, and relief from the day-to-day stresses of dealing with cancer.
