Meet our sweet Arden! Arden was born full-term on August 8, 2023. The day we were set to go home with him, his nurse noticed he was jaundiced. Lab work revealed his direct bilirubin was high. Many children are born jaundiced, but his labs indicated an issue related to his liver. On August 10^th, Arden was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at University Medical Center (UMC) in Lubbock, TX, and began phototherapy and genetic testing. Unfortunately, his jaundice did not respond to treatment, and tests suggested he may have Biliary Atresia (BA).

BA is a rare liver condition occurring in 1 out of every 10,000-15,000 births, where the common bile duct does not develop normally and prevents the removal of bile, which leads to liver cirrhosis, complete liver failure, and becomes life-threatening as the disease progresses.

After ten days in the NICU, Arden was discharged home to continue testing as an outpatient. Over the next few weeks, we met with several specialists for lab tests and imaging to determine the next steps for Arden as his condition was worsening. On September 14, 2023, we were referred to the Solid Organ Transplant Center at Children’s Medical Center (CMC) Dallas; the following day Arden went for a surgery called a diagnostic cholangiogram, and it confirmed our fears that he had BA. The surgical team immediately performed a Kasai portoenterostomy procedure. His gallbladder and damaged bile ducts were removed, then a portion of his small intestine was connected to the liver in effort to direct bile flow out of the liver. He was given a 1 in 3 chance of saving his liver. After six days in the hospital, Arden was discharged home and put on an experimental new drug in hopes of keeping his liver working. Sadly, three months post-op it was determined his Kasai and the drug was not enough to keep his liver working.

On February 28, 2024, Arden was at his GI specialist in Lubbock for a routine doctor’s appointment where he began to vomit blood. He was rushed to the hospital in Lubbock, TX. His condition rapidly deteriorated, and he was air-lifted to Children’s Dallas. On March 1, 2024, Arden went for an Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) to locate the source of the bleeding. Massive bleeding varicose veins had formed in his food pipe from his failing liver. The gastroenterologist was able to treat the bleeding. We were all optimistic that Arden would be healthy enough to go home soon, however he developed significant abdominal swelling called ascites from his failing liver. After three blood transfusions, an EGD, countless lab tests, medications, and diagnostic images, Arden’s condition is improving. As I write this he remains in the Children’s Dallas PICU.

Our liver team has begun the process of listing Arden for a liver transplant. We are currently working on a referral to University Health San Antonio for the living donor program. We hope that either mom (Savannah York) or dad (C. Collins York) can be his living donor. Following the live donor evaluation process, we will be back to Children’s Dallas to evaluate Arden for the deceased donor program to give him the best chance for a new liver.

We have created a Facebook page called “Arden’s Hope” that we will use to post about COTA fundraising events, donation opportunities to COTA for Ardens Hope, and health updates about Arden. Please feel free to “join” that page to follow him throughout his transplant journey.

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) helps children and young adults who need a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support. COTA is the nation’s only fundraising organization solely dedicated to raising life-saving dollars in honor of transplant-needy children and young adults. 100% of each contribution made to COTA in honor of our patients helps meet transplant-related expenses. COTA’s services are free to our families, and gifts to COTA are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.