Results: Overweight Dad Loses 40 Lbs So He Can Be Live Donor For Son's Liver Transplant

Sean Kelley's motivation was saving his 1-year-old son's life. After Sawyer was put on a waiting list for a liver transplant, Sean decided to do everything he could to be his match. Do you know anyone who has needed an organ transplant?

Sweet Sawyer was born with Alagille syndrome, a genetic disorder that can damage organs like the heart and liver. While people experience it differently, Sawyer's case was extreme enough that without a transplant he wouldn't make it to his second birthday. Do you know anyone who faced severe complications early in life - and there were doubts they would survive beyond a certain birthday?

The doctor told Sean and his wife Josie that even if their little one was on the waiting list, he might not receive a liver in time. His best shot was to find a live donor. So while they worked to get Sawyer on the list, Sean looked into whether he was a match. As it turned out, he could be — but only if he lowered his BMI by losing 40 pounds. Are you a registered organ donor?

"You want to see them thrive," Sean said. "You want to see them happy. You want to give them every chance to succeed in life that you can. And this was an opportunity to do that." In August 2019, the dad of seven began counting calories and exercising as much as possible. By December, he reached his goal, was cleared by his doctor, and successfully donated a piece of his liver to Sawyer. If you would have to lose 40 pounds in order to be able to donate an organ (as a living donor) to save a family member, would you do it?

Since the surgery, Sawyer's doctor said his outlook is good. Thanks to his dad, his body will be able to fight infections and manage his condition better! Now that everything is said and done, Sean is encouraging others to find out if they can become live donors and save someone's life. After all, he knows just how important it is to those people's loved ones! If you haven't already, will you look into becoming a live donor?