With two little girls fighting for their lives, one family in Kingston, Ontario in Canada might have to face the terrible thought that only one of their twin girls may be able to get life-saving liver transplant surgery. That is unless their awareness efforts find more volunteer liver donors to help them.
Michael Wagner, the father of the two adopted Vietnamese twins, and seven older children, learned that he was a match to donate part of his liver to at least one of his daughetrs. Both of whom suffer from the genetic disease Alagille syndrome.
The disease affects the liver, heart, kidneys and other body systems and causes bile to build up in the liver, preventing it from removing waste products properly from the blood.
According to reports, the family knew that their twins suffered from Alagille syndrome when they adopted them in Vietnam and have been trying to treat them medically since their adoption and arrival in Canada. However, their conditions have become so severe that only a liver transplant would be able to save their lives now.
Although the family is happy that their father can potentially save at least one of their girls, it will be up to doctors to decide, based on the severity of the twins' condition, which one will receive the father's liver and which one will continue to wait on the donor waiting list, where other children are still waiting for life-saving transplants as well.
"I think we will make the decision based on facts and keep it as dispassionate as possible," said Dr. Binita Kamath who has been treating the twin girls.
Meanwhile, the family continues to remain hopeful that the right match will turn up for their other daughter so that both twins will be able to live happy, healthy lives together.
They have set up a Facebook page to encourage people to volunteer as live donors for theirs, as well as other children in dire need of liver transplants.
The transplant of part of Michael Wagner's liver into one of his daughters is set to take place in two weeks. As they anxiously wait, they realize that anything can happen, even up to the point when Michael is on the operating table, that something could go wrong and halt the surgery.
In the meantime, their older children are traveling to Ontario to be with their father and youngest siblings during the transplant operation and they continue to encourage people to raise awareness for the need for organ donation across the nation.
