Logan was born a healthy baby boy on November 8^th, 2024, weighing in at 8 lbs 0 oz and 21 inches long. Logan struggled to maintain his weight from the very beginning, but we just thought it was the normal baby weight loss that many babies experience. As the weeks went by, he was still having issues with gaining weight, so on December 20th we had lab work done at our local hospital. We were due to go to Wisconsin for the weekend to celebrate Christmas when we got a dreaded phone call at 1 pm that we needed to be seen downtown at Lurie’s Children’s Hospital for a liver biopsy since his lab work came back so abnormal. 

We had the liver biopsy done on December 23rd and found out on Christmas Eve that Logan has a rare, life-threatening liver disease called biliary atresia. It occurs when the bile ducts, which carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine, are blocked or scarred. This prevents the bile from draining, causing it to build up and damage the liver. Logan needed a procedure called the Kasai to try and help the bile flow more freely. The doctors at Lurie’s wanted us to spend our first Christmas morning at home so they discharged us on Christmas Eve and had us come back the following evening on Christmas Day to prepare for Logan’s surgery. Logan had his Kasai procedure on December 26th and had an uncomplicated recovery. We spent a week in the hospital and were discharged on New Years Day. 

We continued to follow up every month with Lurie’s downtown to ensure his surgery was successful. However, as the months went by the bile wasn’t draining like it should be. Logan was still jaundiced, continued to struggle to gain weight, and developed full body itching and fluid in his abdomen. In April, we ultimately found out that his surgery was unsuccessful and we needed to list him for a liver transplant. 

Logan was officially placed on the liver transplant list on June 4th. While we wait for a new liver for Logan, we are also eager to see if we can find a living donor. Caleb and family members will be tested to see if we can find Logan’s perfect match. 

We hope and pray that Logan can receive a new liver quickly and without complications so we can get our boy healthy and on the road to recovery. 

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.