Son gives dad 'new life' with liver donation at UPMC
Michael Huey showed his 2-year-old son, Luke, the bond between father and son by giving his own dad a precious gift.
Huey donated a portion of his liver to his father, Louis, a decision the son said was made out of love.
“I prayed about it,” said Michael Huey, who turned 40 while in UPMC Montefiore in Oakland just days after his six-hour surgery April 17. “I knew it was the right thing to do.”
Now, the father-son duo from Houston, Texas, will get to celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday with the entire family.
They might not have without the transplant.
Running out of time
Louis Huey’s health was deteriorating quickly. The 69-year-old was diagnosed in August with cryptogenic cirrhosis, a condition that impairs liver function. Doctors weren’t sure of the cause, but fluid was building in his abdomen. He was losing weight and muscle. Yet he wasn’t sick enough to qualify for a spot on the transplant waiting list.
He was running out of time, he said.
More than 12,500 Americans are waiting for a liver transplant — yet only about 8,000 deceased-donor livers become available each year, according to UPMC. In 2019, UPMC led the nation in living-donor liver transplants with 76 and became the only center in the country to perform more living donor than deceased donor liver transplants. Sixty percent of liver transplants at UPMC are done using organs from live donors.
Hepatologists from the UPMC Center for Liver Diseases discuss the resources that UPMC provides to help patients on the transplant waiting list find a living donor. https://t.co/iL88MARXLs #livingdonor pic.twitter.com/zF7706pFNA
— UPMC Physician Resources (@UPMCPhysicianEd) June 17, 2020
Dr. Abhi Humar, chief of transplantation at UPMC, performed the surgery. Humar said Louis Huey is a prime example of a patient who can be helped via a living donor. Huey is almost 70, the disease was progressing, and he didn’t have time to wait.
“Living donation allowed him to get the liver transplant,” Humar said. “It is really remarkable for a son to be a donor for his father. He was able to give life to the man who gave him life.”
Taking a risk
Humar said there were risks involved because it’s a serious operation and one that parents don’t want to see their children undergo. But it is also hard for a child to see his or her parent ill.
The liver is a pretty forgiving organ, Humar said. The most important requirement is the living donor must be healthy.
“There are people who don’t know about this potential option,” Humar said. “They aren’t aware the liver can regenerate itself. There are people who die from liver disease and family members say if they had known, they would have tried to save the family member’s life.”
Support carried them through
The Hueys found UPMC through research. Louis Huey lived in Pittsburgh for a year in 1978 when he was working in the chemical industry as a salesman.
“Never did I think I would be back in Pittsburgh all these years later for surgery,” he said. “Pittsburgh is where I got a new life. My son is pretty special. If he hadn’t donated part of his liver, I wouldn’t be celebrating this Father’s Day. I was very sick and my health was declining. I was on borrowed time.”
They went in the morning of April 17 at 5 a.m. and lay side by side on hospital beds. Michael Huey went in first for removal of part of his liver.
They don’t remember seeing each other until the next day.
The first question Louis Huey asked when he awoke from the 11-hour operation was: “How is Michael?”
“When I heard he was doing well, I was relieved,” Louis Huey said. “For him to have done this for me is wonderful. He has a wife and a son and a job, and this was a big risk. He gave me the best present ever, the chance to live.”
“When I woke up, I was asking, ‘Is my dad all right?’ ” said Michael Huey, who had about 60% of his liver removed. “I was overjoyed when I found out he was.”
That next day, Michael Huey recalled not having much energy to walk from his room to his dad’s hospital room. It took him a while to get across the hall.
Once he did, the two prayed.
“We thanked God for bringing us through all of this,” Michael Huey said. “There were so many people who made sacrifices to help us.”
He credits his mom, Barbara; his wife, Rebecca, and her family; and his sister, Tanner, and brother-in-law, Petar Vlasic, who have a daughter Braedyn. He is also grateful for the support of his employer, The College of Biblical Studies in Houston.
“As soon as I walked into that hospital, I felt that this was the place I would want to have the transplant done,” Michael Huey said. “I was at peace with my decision. I wanted my father to be around, and I also want to be around for my son. My dad needed me to be there, and when people told me I was showing my son about love and he would know that when he got older, I didn’t really think about that. It was God calling me and helping me and my family have more time with my dad. Something really, really good came from the sacrifice. It was a risky decision, but I love my dad.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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