Dad Loses 40 Pounds to Save Sick Son in Need of a Liver Transplant

A dad loses 40 pounds to save a sick son who badly needs a liver transplant. The father and son are currently recovering after they underwent the "complex and challenging" transplant. 

He wanted to save his baby boy, so he decided to lose weight

Sean Kelley decided to lose weight so that he could check if his liver matches his infant son. He told "Good Morning America" that parents want to see their children thrive and happy. He explained that he wanted to give his children every chance so they could succeed in life. 

Kelley and his wife, Josie, are parents to seven children: 19-year-old Dylan, 11-year-old Meara, 11-year-old Christina, five-year-old Tristan, three-year-old Asher, and one-year-old twins, Silas and Sawyer. 

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Three other children also have the same condition

The West Almond, New York, couple also lives with Alagille syndrome. It is a genetic disorder that also affects three of their kids. The syndrome affects multiple organs in a person's body, including the liver and heart, based on the National Institutes of Health. Besides being linked with several heart problems, the condition also causes liver damage. 

At just three months old, Tristan had already undergone open-heart surgery. Meara suffers from itchy skin and has problems with her heart and liver functions. One of the twins, Sawyer, also has the condition and required a liver transplant immediately. 

UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh chief of pediatric transplantation Dr. George Mazariegos explained why Sawyer needed an immediate liver transplant. He said that the baby boy could not survive more than one month without it because his liver had to compensate.

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Kelley and his wife initially planned to find a donor for their baby. Then he realized that he could also be of help when he could slim down to be a liver donor. He explained that he also had to lose weight even for the evaluation before knowing if his liver matches Sawyer's. 

Started a weight-loss process

In August 2019, Kelley started a weight-loss process. He is grateful to his wife for supporting him in his weight loss journey. Josie kept reminding Kelley to eat right and exercise to reach his ultimate goal. 

Kelley exercised as much as he could, and he would even go on extra walks during his lunch breaks. He was happy when he received the confirmation for donor evaluation. On December 19, Dr. Mazariegos performed transplant surgery. 

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The doctor believes that Sawyer would be much healthier with his new liver. He explained that the baby boy could now withstand infections and things that were big setbacks for him before the transplant. 

Kelley told the outlet that he and Sawyer are recovering smoothly two weeks after the surgery, although there were some post-surgery complications. He is hoping to help others know about how being a living donor could help save lives. 

Kelley said that being evaluated and going through the process of organ donation is an "incredible feeling."