Family thanks anonymous liver donor for saving toddler’s life
TORONTO — Michael and Johanne Wagner can’t express their gratitude enough.
The couple from Kingston, Ont., broke down in tears Tuesday as they thanked an anonymous donor who made it possible for the second of their twin daughters to receive a life-saving liver transplant.
Pausing to take deep breaths as they faced a wall of journalists at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, the Wagners said they now looked forward to a long life with their two little girls, Phuoc and Binh Wagner.
“Thank you for your unselfishness for what you’ve done,” an emotional Johanne Wagner said as she held one of her daughters in her arms. “There’s no other word than thank you.”
The twin girls were 18 months old when the Wagners adopted them from Vietnam. They are the youngest of the couple’s nine children — the Wagners had five kids before deciding to adopt.
The couple knew early on that the girls had liver problems, but didn’t know the extent.
It turned out that the twins have Alagille syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects vital organs. Doctors said they would die without a liver transplant.
Their father learned that he was a match but could donate part of his liver to only one of the girls. He said he couldn’t chose between them, so the couple left it up to doctors to decide which child would get the transplant, based on medical reasons.
Phuoc was the one who received part of her father’s liver in February, but the search continued for a donor for Binh. Some 500 people offered to be a donor for her and about 70 were screened for the process, SickKids hospital said.
An anonymous donor underwent surgery several weeks ago. The hospital said Monday both the donor and Binh were recovering well.