Brendan Elam, Liver Recipient

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When Brendan was born in May 2002, he was jaundiced like many newborns. After treatment and multiple tests, it became clear that there was something more to his condition. When he was about two months old, a diagnosis of Alpha-I Antitrypsin Deficiency, a genetic condition that can cause liver disease, was given. Brendan was healthy for several years. When he was seven, it became apparent that a liver transplant would be in his future. He developed ascites, fluid build-up in his abdomen, which often resulted in bouts of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. The fluid would become infected, and Brendan would be very sick. There were multiple hospital stays to be on high-powered antibiotics to get rid of the infections.

Brendan was having a difficult time consuming calories as he should, so when he was in third grade, a G-tube was placed in is abdomen so that he could receive nutrition through it overnight. He went through transplant evaluation twice, and he was placed on the list in March 2012.

Brendan was a trooper and carried on as normally as possible. He remained in school as much as he could and continued his activities. On a cold December day in 2012, we received the call. Brendan’s mom gathered him from class and went to meet Dad and the team at Children’s Mercy Hospital. He actually waited a couple of days before the transplant could happen, because there was an ice storm in Kansas City. It was difficult to get people where they needed to be so that donated organs could get to their recipients.

Brendan is almost five years post-transplant, now. He is in school full-time. He is very active in high school. He is part of the cross country and track teams, the band and the choir. He is a busy guy, and he is so thankful to his donor family for giving him the chance to be a kid and grow into a young man.