The promise of a new liver

After years of non-stop drinking, Robyn O’ Kane had damaged her liver so badly, she was told she only had three months to live.

“Last Saturday, I called an ambulance to bring her to the hospital because her liver was shutting down,” says Sue Bauer, O’Kane’s cousin. “It affected her brain.”

Fortunately, O’Kane was scheduled to receive a new liver.

“It’s like winning the lottery,” O’Kane says.

“She’s getting a second chance at life,” Bauer says.

The importance of the liver

While Bauer anxiously waits, Christie Gooden, M.D., a transplant surgeon, gears up to perform O’Kane’s surgery.

“I don’t think people realize how many things the liver does for you,” Dr. Gooden says. “We don't have a really good backup. It's not like kidneys, where if your kidneys fail, you have dialysis. When your liver starts to fail, there's really no good backup. It's either a transplant or you die.”

A new beginning

The surgery was a success, and O’Kane is grateful for her life.

“People told me to stop drinking, but I didn’t listen,” O’Kane says. “Now I’ve got a second chance, and I’m going to enjoy what I’ve got.”

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