One Liver, Two Lives: Suzanne and J'Mari's Inspiring Journey
- cpfentner
- 34 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Story as told by Suzanne
My story began long before I ever became a donor myself. When I was in high school, I watched my mother donate one of her kidneys to a man she worked with. They weren’t close friends, but to her the decision was remarkably simple.
“He needs a kidney,” she said, “and I have two.”
That act of generosity stayed with me. It quietly shaped the way I viewed helping others and planted a seed that would grow for years.
As an adult, I became a registered nurse and later spent about a year working for ConnectLife as a donation coordinator. Every day I witnessed the incredible care, precision, and teamwork involved in organ donation. I saw families experience unimaginable loss while choosing to give strangers a second chance at life. I also saw transplant recipients receive the gift of more birthdays, more holidays, and more ordinary moments with the people they loved.
After seeing all of that, I found myself wondering if, someday, I might be able to make that kind of difference myself.
One afternoon, while scrolling through a local moms’ Facebook group, I came across a post asking businesses to display flyers for a little boy named J'Mari. He had been born with Alagille syndrome and urgently needed a liver transplant.
Until that moment, I didn’t know living liver donation was even possible. I read everything I could about it and decided to apply to become his donor. I was hopeful, but I also knew there were many reasons someone might not qualify. Living donation involves extensive testing to ensure the safety of both the donor and recipient.
When I received the phone call telling me I was a match, I was overwhelmed with excitement. There was just one obstacle left. I needed to lose about twenty pounds before surgery.
Suddenly, every walk during my lunch break mattered. Every evening walk after work mattered. Every healthy meal mattered. I wasn’t chasing a number on the scale. I was working toward helping a little boy have a healthier future.
Once I reached my goal, surgery was scheduled at UPMC in Pittsburgh. We experienced one unexpected delay when J'Mari developed a respiratory illness, but eventually the day finally arrived.
Because he was a pediatric patient, his surgery took place at the children’s hospital a short distance away from mine. As I was being prepared for surgery, I couldn’t help but picture the small left lobe of my liver making the short ambulance trip to him.
I remember thinking, “We’re coming for you, J'Mari. Just hold on.”
My surgery lasted about six hours. Every member of the transplant team, from my coordinator and surgeons to the nurses, anesthesiologists, and students demonstrated extraordinary compassion and expertise. They answered every question, prepared me thoroughly, and cared for me every step of the way.
Following surgery, my mother stayed with me in Pittsburgh while I recovered at a UPMC patient hospitality house. About a week later, we returned home, where I spent the next six weeks healing.
Recovery certainly wasn’t effortless. I was sore, I was tired, and I had to be patient with my body. But I also felt an overwhelming sense of peace. I knew exactly why I had chosen this path, and I never questioned my decision.
One of the things that surprised me most was how supported I felt throughout the entire process. Before surgery, I met with physicians, nurses, coordinators, social workers, psychologists, and other specialists who made sure I fully understood every step. During recovery, those same professionals continued checking on me and ensuring I had everything I needed to heal successfully.
People often ask if I would do it again. Without hesitation, my answer is yes.
Living donation isn’t the right choice for everyone, and not everyone who volunteers will ultimately qualify. But if you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to save someone’s life while continuing to live a healthy, full life yourself, I hope my story encourages you to learn more.
One decision. One surgery. One ordinary person. A lifetime of possibilities for someone else. Sometimes the greatest gifts are the ones we get to keep giving long after we’ve healed.
J’Mari’s health will always have to be closely monitored but he is thriving in school and his mother, Theresa continues to advocate and care for him as fiercely as the day she reached out to total strangers for help.
Respectfully,
Suzanne Milligan