Meet David Rodriguez, living donor liver transplant recipient and ALF Advocacy Ambassador. David said, “I was diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) at 49 years old. I had zero symptoms until the day I ended up in the hospital with a high fever and chills.” Liver disease often goes undetected and if left untreated can lead to irreversible damage and the need for a liver transplant.

David said, “After intense evaluation, doctors told me I had biliary cirrhosis of the liver and was given one year to live. My only hope for survival was to undergo a liver transplant. As a single person, the news had a tremendous effect on my life – I was stressed, depressed, anxious and I felt broken and alone. As time went on and I didn’t receive a call, I became less and less hopeful. Then, almost a year later, I was chosen to be a part of the Liver Paired Exchange Program – a new UNOS pilot program for liver transplantation that has been utilized in kidney transplantation for years.”

Living donor liver transplants offer a solution for patients who cannot wait for a deceased donor liver or who do not qualify for one. ALF’s Living Donor Liver Transplant information center provides free resources for those looking to find a living donor, resources for those considering becoming a living donor and a comprehensive educational and social media toolkit designed to help patients and families learn how to tell their stories and spread the word.

David said, “I received my liver transplant on January 6, 2022 and have been doing well since. I hope to use my second chance at life to help ALF spread the word about liver health, preventing liver disease and the importance of organ donation.”

To learn more about living donor liver transplantation and the resources ALF has to offer, please visit our website.

Celebrating the Gift of Life Through Living Donor Liver Transplantation