'Tis Better to Give Than Receive: Professional Acquaintance Donates Liver to Co-Worker's Infant Son at UNC Hospitals.

Lifestyle Editors/Health & Medical Writers

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.--(BW HealthWire)--Dec. 29, 2000

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, one woman embodies the true spirit of giving.

Kimberly Springer's gift-giving began when her husband, Darrell, stationed at New River Air Force Base in Jacksonville, mentioned that his co-worker's infant son was hospitalized and needed a liver transplant.

"I knew I was the same blood type," said Mrs. Springer, who has two children of her own. "So I called the hospital immediately and volunteered to donate."

Adam Courtney, now a vibrant 6 month old, was born with biliary atresia, a rare disorder that destroys the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the intestine. Unable to drain, the bile accumulates in the liver, causing permanent and irreparable damage called cirrhosis. A liver transplant was Adam's only treatment, and without it, he would die.

Dr. Jeffrey Fair, chief of the abdominal transplant program at UNC Hospitals, first tested Adam's parents, Sheri and Bernard, to see whether either could donate a portion of liver to their baby. Sheri Courtney's blood type was not compatible, and Bernard Courtney's left lateral lobe - the part of the liver needed for transplant - was too large for Adam's small body.

Unable to save their baby themselves, the Courtneys turned to their extended network of friends to help spread the word about Adam's plight. Perhaps someone else could help.

"It was simply a matter of getting the word out," Mrs. Courtney said. "We had so many friends and family members call the hospital wanting to help - and it was all through word of mouth."

Kimberly Springer volunteered for testing, and proved to be a suitable match. What amazed the Courtneys, though, was that Mrs. Springer wasn't a close friend.

Both Bernard Courtney and Darrell Springer are staff sergeants stationed at New River AFB as avionics instructors. While the two couples would wave a friendly hello to each other at PTA meetings or ballgames, they didn't socialize or attend the same church. Really, they didn't know each other well at all.

"At the time, Kim was just an acquaintance," Mrs. Courtney said. "We would see each other around the base, and our kids played in the same T-ball league, but that was the extent of it."

That a woman who barely knew Adam - and who had children of her own - would risk giving up a portion of her liver to save his life touched the Courtneys immensely.

"Kim is a very unique and special person to do this for Adam," Mrs. Courtney said simply.

One of the unique things about the liver is that it regenerates after transplantation - the only organ in the human body that will do so. Surgeons increasingly are relying on living donors for liver transplantation because within six months, both the donor's and recipient's livers will have re-grown to normal size.

"I was surprised at how quickly I healed," Mrs. Springer said. "It was almost like donating blood, it was so easy."

Adam, on the other hand, was weak from biliary atresia and weighed less than 10 pounds in October when he underwent surgery - an operation that took six hours to complete. Complicating Adam's case was the fact that his abdominal organs were situated in the mirror image of the norm, which required of the surgeons even more caution and attention than usual.

"The procedure required commitment from the entire institution," Fair said. "There was a full medical team of pediatric hepatologists, pediatric surgeons, transplant surgeons, pediatric anesthesiologists, as well as intensive care unit nurses and coordinators involved in the process either directly or in consultative roles."

Fair said both Adam and Mrs. Springer should experience a full recovery.

"Directly following transplantation, the recipient's condition is unsure, but as Adam grows, his new liver will grow with him," Fair added. "There are numerous pediatric transplant patients who are full-grown adults now, happily married and with children of their own."

Added Mrs. Courtney, "We have had a lot of ups and downs. We were at the mercy of the physicians at UNC, and they warned us that it would be a roller coaster. Despite all that my son and our family had to go through, we were amazed by the compassion of the nurses, physicians and surgeons. They put forth every effort to make us comfortable."

Looking at Adam, Mrs. Courtney said she knows the struggle was worth it. And during this holiday season of giving, she is grateful for the gift one mother gave to another - the gift of watching your child grow, laugh and learn.

"I believe this was just another test of faith," Mrs. Courtney said. "We trusted in God, and I truly believe everything happened according to his will. We praise him for using all the doctors, nurses and especially Kim to perform this miracle."