Toddler needs life-saving liver transplant
Toddler needs life-saving liver transplant
1-year-old Isaac Calkins loves snuggles and hugs too, says his mom, Carrie. The last eight months, she says, have been difficult. Little Isaac has ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, also called OTC deficiency, which means his liver can’t break down ammonia well.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A toddler in South Lyon is in the fight of his young life as he needs a liver, and his family is getting the word out about it, already reaching those at Ford Field.
What they're saying:
1-year-old Isaac Calkins loves snuggles and hugs too, says his mom, Carrie. The last eight months, she says, have been difficult. Little Isaac has ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, also called OTC deficiency, which means his liver can’t break down ammonia well.
Doctors discovered it early, but they’ve been in and out of the Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor a lot.
"They were able to treat him with meds, and he received a life-saving liver transplant at 4 months old. Yeah, so he did great initially with it. But he’s had multiple rounds of rejection," she said.
Carrie says he was reevaluated in July. He was on the deceased donor list, but on Oct. 3, he was re-listed, in need of another donor.
"This time we’re looking for a living liver donor. And it will just, you know, save his life," she said.
Carrie says a living liver donor can be anyone aged 21–55, leading healthy lives. So the family is on a mission to get the word out.
Big picture view:
Her 8-year-old son, Logan, sent a message to Lions star Aiden Hutchinson, who reposted it on his Instagram stories. Carrie is grateful for that.
"I just want to see him grow up and be healthy and happy and live a normal kid's life," she said.
The family set up ‘Isaac OTC Warrior’ pages on social media, hoping someone will reach out offering the gift of a lifetime.
"I know that God has a plan for him. And there’s a liver out there. And he’s a strong little boy. And we just need some help," she said.
The family is posting about their journey on their Facebook and Instagram.
Carrie says what's amazing is a donor's liver can grow back in a couple of months.
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