A stranger south of the border donated part of her liver:
In 2023, Stephanie Azzarello faced a dire situation when she was informed that she needed a liver transplant to survive due to primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare chronic liver ailment. Despite being on the waiting list for a deceased donor, the odds of receiving an organ through this route were slim. With no suitable matches among her family or friends, Azzarello took to the public sphere to seek a living donor willing to undergo the intricate surgery.
Dr. Mamatha Bhat, a clinician scientist at the University Health Network Ajmera Transplant Centre in Toronto, recognized the flaws in the current prioritization system for liver transplants. The existing Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, which determines urgency based on a few blood tests, disadvantaged women and individuals with uncommon conditions like PSC. Factors such as muscle mass differences between genders were not accounted for in the MELD score, affecting the ranking of patients in need.
To address these shortcomings, Dr. Bhat and her team secured funding in 2023 to develop an artificial intelligence system that could consider a broader range of variables and eventually replace the MELD score. This AI system aims to enhance the prioritization process based on individual patient needs, potentially reducing mortality rates among those awaiting liver transplants.
Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information revealed that in 2024, 655 liver transplants were conducted in Canada, with 609 individuals still on the waitlist and 89 deaths while waiting for a transplant. Given the pressing need for organs, Dr. Bhat advises patients like Azzarello to explore alternative avenues for acquiring a liver.
Several months after being waitlisted, Azzarello’s deteriorating health forced her to take leave from her teaching job. Her social media campaign to find a donor gained traction in early 2024, leading Trisha Beard from Portland, Oregon, to offer her help. Despite initial doubts about being a suitable donor due to her U.S. residency, Beard persisted and eventually matched with Azzarello after a series of tests.
Following a successful transplant surgery lasting over 12 hours in June 2024, Beard’s donated liver regenerated in both herself and Azzarello. The two women now consider each other family, maintaining regular communication and planning a reunion. Azzarello, back at work and feeling well, credits her renewed health to her generous organ donor, Beard.
