Such was the case for the Eduardo Camargo of Bridgeport, Illinois, father of a 5-month old Jazlyn, who was diagnosed at birth with bilary atresia, a life-threatening liver condition that required a transplant if she was to survive.
Infant transplants are complicated, scary, and can bring on a slew of complications and emotions. Because of their size, adult organs don’t normally work for a baby, so a baby in need must go on a waiting list for an appropriate donor. The exception to this rule is a liver transplant. The liver is an organ that can be divided and then transplanted, thus allowing a compatible adult to donate to a baby.
In this little girl’s case, both parents were tested for organ compatibility and the dad was a perfect match. But the 35-year old father was overweight, so the strain on his liver meant he wasn’t a viable candidate for the surgery unless he dropped a substantial number of pounds. Dad began a diet and exercise program right away, monitoring his food intake and sticking to a diet consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables and fish. He ran 20 miles a week, quickly slimming down by over 40 pounds in order to make the double surgery possible.
As reported, this story has a happy ending. Father and daughter came through the surgery fine, and this heroic dad now has more energy to devote to his three healthy children thanks to his life-saving weight loss.
