Random Liver Transplant Facts

 Some random facts about liver transplant:
  • There are typically between 20 and 30 children on the waiting list for a liver at a time just at Toronto Sick Kids hospital. Toronto and London are the two transplant centres in Ontario.

  • No cadaver livers came into Sick Kids hospital during July or August this year, but two became available this past weekend resulting in transplants (including the other OTC case I wrote about earlier). The waiting period for a cadaver liver is very random.

  • The first living donor transplant in Toronto was performed in 1996.

  • Toronto is the largest, most experienced living donor transplant centre in North America.

  • The list for people needing transplants in Ontario is maintained by the Trillium Gift of Life program.  They maintain a publicly accessible list that tells you how many people in Ontario are on the waiting list for organs at a time.  At time of writing this, there are 235 people in Ontario waiting for a liver transplant (both adults and children).  You can check the current number of people on the list here.

Comments

  1. Hi Cindy
    I saw a comment you left on Love That Max about your baby needing a liver transplant? I am about to give my 5 year old daughter a kidney so I thought I'd pop over to your blog and say hi. I hope your little one gets a liver ASAP. Are you waiting for a cadaver liver or going with a living donor transplant?
    My daughter has had kidney failure since birth but has managed reasonably well until now. I will be giving her my right kidney next month.
    All the best - I will be checking back to follow your progress!
    Alison

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, Cindy, I came to visit. I know you are dealing with a lot right now, but you seem to be both strong and smart, a winning combination when it comes to dealing with baby health problems. You are lucky to be near Toronto; we're in the New York area, and I've always been grateful to have access to great doctors. I wish you great luck, as sometimes no amount of action can take the place of great luck. That said, I am sure you are doing everything you humanly can to help your peanut. Hey, at least you can drown your stress in hot fudge sundaes (or whatever your food Achilles heel is)—you're pregnant!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alison: We don't have a live donor at this point, although I know a couple people have applied. We will go with whatever comes through first, assuming that baby makes it until then.

    Ellen: The doctors would love for me to eat more! With three weeks left, I've only gained about 4 lbs!

    ReplyDelete

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