Bittle's Four Year Liver-versary!

Four years ago today my baby had her liver transplant. It has been four years of ups and downs, but I would not have traded it for the world.

Because of Bittle’s transplant, she has been given a chance to live – something she did not have before the operation. In fact, her doctors had warned us that she was getting to the point where surgery might not be an option at all, as there is a window of opportunity that closes if a person gets too ill. Getting a liver transplant and hoping that it worked was our only option for giving Bittle a chance at life. I know we are incredibly lucky, as many people on the transplant list do not get the organs they need to survive.

I often think of the donor family and the person they lost. I hope they have healed, although I know the loss of a loved one is something that always leaves a hole in your heart. I want them to know that what they did saved my daughter’s life. I want them to know that their loved one is living on through my daughter and that every extra day with my daughter is a miracle. I want them to know that they are the reason my daughter is with us today, and for that I will always be grateful.

I love my Bittle and every day throughout her long sickness I wanted to trade places with her. I wanted her to have the childhood she deserved. I wanted her to be able to learn to walk, to go to school and to learn to ride a bike. I wanted to take the pain away from her, but I didn’t have the power to do that. However, a stranger, a person we never met, gave my daughter the chance at life. 

My Bittle is now 5 years old and has blossomed into an independent little girl. She loves life, and has a truly impish nature that keeps us on our toes. She loves school and loves learning. Someday, I want her to go to college and be happy in her chosen profession, no matter what it is. Someday, in the far off future, I want her to fall in love. But for right now, I take one day at a time, and simply marvel at how she has grown. Biddle’s liver transplant healed her, and it went a long way toward healing our family. She is our miracle.