As I mentioned on Facebook, today I submitted my application to Emory to become Wesley’s living donor. Please pray that I’m a match. Even if we end up prefering a cadaver liver, at least we’ll have a plan B. But I have a feeling I’ll be a match, and I’d love to be my son’s Plan A.

Many of you have thoughtfully inquired about the qualifications, process and recovery time for the living donor. To be a potential match for Wesley, you would need to have B+ blood type, first and foremost. A donor candidate must also be between the ages of 18-55, healthy both medically and psychologically, a nonsmoker, appropriate weight to height, and off hormone replacement or hormone based birth control for three months prior to the donation surgery.

You would then fill out a detailed questionaire that probes into your medical history. You would submit that to Emory for review. If you passed the inital step you’d be invited in for testing. This includes things like abdominal imaging, extensive bloodwork and a cardio stress test.

The surgery itself is pretty intense. From what I understand, you’d hopefully be upright in a few days and out of the hospital in about a week. It would be light activity for around a month. Amazingly your liver can fully regenerate within a matter of a month or so. It’s an amazing organ. I can’t wait until Wesley has one that works.

If you meet these qualifications and want more information, please contact me.