Left: Stanley right before he went into surgery. Right: Stanley this morning.

Today is Stanley’s first liverversary, and we wanted to share the letter we sent to his donor family a few weeks ago. While we have much to celebrate and we’re so grateful for how far he’s come, we will always remember that Stanley wouldn’t be here without the compassion of strangers who chose organ donation at the most difficult time in their life. 

Dear donor family,

Around this time last year, our son, Stanley, was extremely sick. He’d been diagnosed with the liver condition biliary atresia at 2 months old, and the initial surgery didn’t fix the problem. Over the next few months, Stanley continued to deteriorate, becoming more jaundiced and malnourished. He needed to be fed through a feeding tube, and his stomach grew distended with ascites fluid. We were terrified as we watched Stanley get weaker and weaker. His only option was to undergo a liver transplant.

Then, when Stanley was 6 months old, he received the greatest gift in the world: the gift of life. Thanks to your family’s generous donation, Stanley is now a thriving 18-month-old who exudes endless love and joy. He’s such a happy little boy and brings infinite cheer to everyone he meets. We feel very lucky to be his parents.

We cherish each moment we have with Stanley—every walk to the park, every minute of playtime, every smile and laugh, every bath, birthday and milestone. There are no words to express our gratitude, but we hope knowing how much you helped us offers some solace to heal your loss. Because of you and your loved one, we’ve gotten a second chance with our beautiful son.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Best wishes,
Amber and Jeb