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Mom gives baby life, not once, but twice
- Published_at:2015-11-18
- Category:News & Politics
- Channel:Humankind
- tags: 4620135049001 babies youtubehk act of kindness National News liver donation vpchumankind special relationships organ donation humankind
- description: A mother knew something wasn't right with her newborn son. After consulting with medical professionals, she underwent a liver transplant to save her baby's life. ************************************************************ Want even more heartwarming stories?! Subscribe to Humankind's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/1IrNzUN Like Humankind on Facebook: http://bit.ly/fbhkvids ************************************************************ Dawn Kendrick, WKYC-TV - BRUNSWICK, Ohio -- Little Brodie Tigue entered the world in May 2015. Perfect in every visible way from his 10 fingers and 10 toes, to his healthy appetite and prolific diapers. But within a few days, Brodie's mom and dad noticed his skin was "different" from his sister's skin. He also had some yellow at the corners of his eyes. The Tigues checked with their pediatrician, who assured them that these symptoms would soon go away. But more strange symptoms would pop up in the weeks to follow. Unexplained dark purple bruising, a small little nodule on the side of Brodie's body and nicked skin when trimming his fingernails brought on an alarming amount of blood. His mother, Traci, just knew something wasn't right. Sept. 9, 2015 is the day that would change the Tigues' lives. Traci made an appointment with a new pediatrician when Brodie's original doctor couldn't fit him in. The doctor listened and shared Traci's own concerns. Blood tests were ordered. A specialist contacted. Instead of going to a lab, the Tigues were sent directly to the Cleveland Clinic's main campus and the Oncology and Hematology Department. The doctor's first suspicion was leukemia, but it was eventually ruled out. Brodie was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and exploratory surgery was scheduled. Doctors wanted to see what was going on in Brodie's liver. On Sept.14, when Brodie was just 3 months old, the Tigues received an answer. And Brodie's condition had a name: biliary artresia. It is a condition in which inflammation develops within the bile ducts around the time of birth. The inflammation can occur in any of the bile ducts both inside and outside of the liver. Brodie would need a liver transplant to survive. A live liver donor would be the best option for Brodie. A portion or "sliver" of a donor's liver could be transplanted into Brodie's body. Traci quickly found out her blood type made her a candidate. But the transplant team cautioned Traci that donating a portion of her own liver would restrict her from caring for Brodie during his recovery period. Word spread of Brodie's plight and the Cleveland Clinic was soon inundated with family, friends and strangers willing to donate a portion of their liver if they proved to be a match. Ninety volunteers registered in just days. "To know that that many people are there for you to save the life of your little guy, how can you describe that? It's the good stuff. lt is the very good stuff," said Traci. As the Tigues wrestled with their decision, an army calling themselves "Brodie's Good Vibe Tribe" shouted from social media. BGVT t-shirts helped raise money for the enormous out-of-pocket expenses the family would face. A GoFundMe page was set up and donations poured in. The family also began selling BGVT apparel. Most importantly, prayers flowed the family's way from all over the world. Brodie's Good Vibe Tribe was huge and unstoppable. The love and support helped the Tigues make the decision to go forward. Traci would donate a "liver sliver," as she called it, to her baby. Oct. 19, 2015 was the day. On the way to the hospital, they sent a Facebook message to all their well-wishers. Positive and upbeat the whole way, only good things were ahead. "Affectionately, I refer to myself as the sliver of liver giver," said Traci. Thirty percent of her liver became Brodie's life-saving gift. Traci and Brodie, each with different teams of Cleveland Clinic doctors, underwent 10 hours of surgeries. "I knew that we were in the best medical hands in the world," said Traci. Doctors warned Traci that Brodie would be heavily sedated when she saw him after surgery. He would seem lifeless. The Tigues captured the moment on video, and it makes even the toughest #TigueTough followers tear up: A choked-up Traci, just out of surgery herself, nuzzles her little nugget and says, "You're doing so good! You're my little man ... our little warrior. We're going to get you better." Brodie's dad and Traci's husband, Russ Tigue, says, "He hears you Traci!" That's when it happened. Brodie woke up and kicked his feet at the sound of their voices. For more of the story, click here: http://usat.ly/1HYavx1
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