I am here to support my son, Callum. On November 11, 2018, our sweet son, Callum ‘Cal’ Rescsanski, was born. It was the best day of our lives until things quickly turned scary for our new family. Doctors were concerned about Cal’s liver and over the course of the next 30-days, Cal was diagnosed with
biliary atresia (BA) and being prepared for his first major surgery at just one month old and weighing only 6lbs.
Approximately 15,000 children in the United States are hospitalized each year with pediatric liver disease.
BA is rare but the BA community is strong. There is a tight community of BA families online who are there through thick and thin, sharing experiences, coping mechanisms, recommendations and an unbelievable amount of love and support. When I was pregnant with Cal, a friend added me to a Mom’s Facebook group. We received support for everything from sippy cup recommendations to help with math homework. Little did I know that it would bless me and my family with so much more.
When I told the group Cal had been diagnosed with BA, everyone rallied around us. A
liver transplant seemed like a distant thought for my tiny newborn, but it was in the back of all our minds and several months later, when Cal was listed for a transplant, many of those amazing women got tested to see if they were a match. One of those moms was Andrea Alberto. She had never met me, Cal or anyone else in our family – however – she made the selfless decision to donate a portion of her liver to our baby. A baby she didn’t know. Andrea ended up not only being the perfect living donor match for Cal, but also the perfect addition to our family.
A patient’s journey with biliary atresia can take many different turns.
ALF and the liver community are here to support you.
For families struggling with pediatric liver disease, few resources and support options existed,
until now. ALF is tackling the problem head-on with the creation of a new Pediatric Liver Disease Information Center and Support Program. The Pediatric Information Center and Support Program includes a newly launched
Life with Biliary Atresia Support Group on Facebook, a monthly
Life with Biliary Atresia Webinar Series featuring parents and children sharing their stories and covering topics such as Kasai procedure and transplantation, support networks, BA in adults, transitioning to adult care, nutrition and more and an online information center launching in 2023.
ALF can only continue with your support.
Our resources are needed now more than ever.
Callum is now 3 years post-transplant and is an active and growing preschooler. He loves music, cars, and lawn mowers. He loves seeing his doctors and nurses who take such good care of him. We are so lucky to have an extraordinary network of support around us.
Our family supports ALF because the invaluable resources, support services and education they provide to families like ours across the country. Will you join us?
You can be a critical part of supporting those with liver disease by
donating today. We must raise $200,000 by December 31, 2022 and today, Giving Tuesday, your 100% tax-deductible donation will be doubled until we reach our match pool. That means a gift $50 becomes $100, a gift of $100 becomes $200 and so on! Please help us today!
Sincerely,
Beth Rescsanski, Callum's mom