Inspiring News
Parenting

Overweight Dad Loses 40 Lbs So He Can Be Live Donor For Son’s Liver Transplant.

Ashley Ziegler
Posted: January 18, 2020
We have to find our own motivation when it comes to changing how we live. Sean Kelley's reason 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. 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. 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. "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. 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! Help this incredible dad spread the word about living donors by sharing this story with your friends.
Share your story & inspire the world. If you have an uplifting story we would love to hear about it! Share it with us here.
Want more good news?

Sign up for Smile, our free daily good news email with over 600,000 happy and optimistic subscribers!

Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.
Loading...

Brighten the World and Spread Hope

Become a Supporting Member
Terms | Privacy | Advertising Terms | CA Notice of Collection | Do Not Sell My Personal Information