Anna du Saire
At the age of two, Anna received the liver transplant that saved her life. Anna was diagnosed with a disease called Biliary Atresia at just nine weeks old; five days later she had surgery to prolong her life until she was able to receive her transplant. Eleven months later she joined the national transplant waiting list.
“We didn’t know what to think,” says Anna’s mom, Kim. “It just happened so fast. The surgery she received as an infant had to be done before twelve weeks of age, so we were grateful that the diagnosis came when it did.”
Anna had been on the transplant waiting list for a year when her parents received the call that a liver was available in April of 2002. “I remember it exactly,” says Kim. “It was 6:18 on the morning of my birthday.”
Nearly eight years later, Anna is a healthy, active and vibrant little girl who is approaching her tenth birthday – a milestone that may not have been possible without her transplant. “Without treatment, patients with Anna’s condition often only live about two years,” shares Kim. “We are just so appreciative that another family made the generous decision to share life with our daughter.”
Anna loves dancing, playing with friends and being onstage as she prepares for her school’s production of The Wizard of Oz. She is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish, and is preparing for her fourth trip to the US Transplant Games in the summer of 2010.
“You can never predict what path your life will take,” reflects Kim. “The fate of her needing a transplant has introduced us to so many wonderful people we wouldn’t have otherwise met. It’s an unfortunate event that led us to this fortunate place. It’s been an amazing experience.”