KENNEDY – A 70-year-old Kennedy resident has been given a remarkable second chance at life thanks to a selfless act of generosity, compassion, and love from a social friend.

Steve Stanton was living on borrowed time due to liver failure, and he had been on the waiting list for a liver transplant for more than three years. The prognosis was not promising.

“I was in my third year on the list for a transplant with no prospects or hope,” he said. “I was in the mid-range of the MELD and just waiting.”

MELD, which stands for Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, is a scoring system designed to assess the urgency of liver transplant needs within a 90-day timeframe. Transplant centers utilize the MELD score as a key factor in prioritizing candidates for liver transplants. This scoring system is applicable only to individuals aged 12 and older. The MELD score ranges from six to 40, with higher scores indicating more severe liver disease. Patients with elevated MELD scores are more likely to be prioritized on the transplant waiting list due to their increased risk of mortality.

Stanton had a MELD score of 33.

“I live on my family farm with my wife,” shared the now-retired pharmacist. “My liver began to fail due to a Hepatitis-B infection I unknowingly contracted from a blood transfusion in 1959. Many people associate liver transplants with alcoholism, but that’s not always the case–it’s certainly not in my situation.”

Stanton elaborated on the options available when it comes to organ transplants. A patient typically faces two primary choices; they can opt for a transplant that utilizes a cadaveric organ, which is harvested from a deceased individual, or they can seek a living-donor transplant. While living-donor transplants have historically been uncommon, they are increasingly gaining traction and acceptance across the United States.

“I ran into a social friend, Kristy Carder, out in town somewhere and just mentioned that I was having some health issues, and when she pressed for more information, I shared with her about my liver failure. She (Carder) blurted out, ‘You can have part of mine.’ I told her that there was a lot more to this than just sharing her liver,” he said.

In living donations, a healthy individual donates an organ or a portion of an organ for transplantation to someone in need. The most common organs donated by living donors are kidneys, although segments of the liver may also be donated. Other organ donations from living individuals are significantly rarer. Every year, living organ donors contribute to the success of thousands of transplants. These donors may be relatives, friends, loved ones, or even individuals who choose to remain anonymous, all aiming to help a patient avoid a lengthy and uncertain waiting period.

Stanton said that after comprehensive testing, he and Carder were confirmed as a match, and she expressed her willingness to proceed with the transplant.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “She’s my angel. She never wavered or faltered throughout the whole process – she was just like that. … Yes, we’re doing this.”

For Carder, a vibrant 44-year-old married mother of four and proud grandmother, the decision to move forward with the transplant journey was about supporting a friend while shining a light on the vital importance of living donor programs across the United States.

“Steve is a friend of my best friend’s mother,” she said. “He said he was really sick, and after a lot of testing and finding out we were compatible, I said let’s do it.”

According to Carder and Stanton, they had transplant surgery on March 17, around 11 weeks ago.

“I donated 50% of my liver,” said Carder. “My portion of the surgery lasted about six hours, and then I recovered.”

“My surgery lasted about 12 hours,” said Stanton. “I’m still not 100 percent, but I’m alive, and I gained a new lease on life and a new extended family.”

The liver regeneration process refers to the liver’s unique ability to replace damaged or lost tissue. It is the only visceral organ that can regenerate itself. The liver has the capability to recover after a partial hepatectomy or from injuries caused by hepatotoxic substances, including certain medications, toxins, or chemicals. Remarkably, only 10% of the original liver mass is needed for the organ to regenerate to its full size- According to clevelandclinic.org.

According to Stanton, it is estimated that each year, around 14,000 to 15,000 individuals are on the waiting list for a liver transplant. Of these, approximately 6,000 receive the life-saving transplant, while more than 2,000 people tragically die due to liver failure annually. Additionally, liver regeneration is the process by which the liver can replace damaged or lost liver tissue. The liver is the only visceral organ capable of regenerating itself. The liver can regenerate after partial hepatectomy or injury due to hepatotoxic agents such as certain medications, toxins, or chemicals. Only 10% of the original liver mass is required for the organ to regenerate back to full size.

Stanton said that he was informed that in any given year, there are approximately 14,000 – 15,000 individuals on a waiting list for a liver transplant; 6,000 receive the life-giving transplant, and more than 2,000 people will die from liver failure each year.

It seems that Carder’s journey isn’t over just because the transplant has taken place. By all accounts, she has more remarkable work ahead of her.

“I want to draw more attention to the living-donor option, and I want to build a better recovery center in Pittsburg – where we had the surgeries,” she said. “A person going through this process has enough to worry about.”

For more information on how to become a living donor, visit organdonor.gov.