Living Liver Donation: A Father and Daughter's Story

When Michael Cox was diagnosed with cryptogenic liver failure in the fall of 2010, his family was told he needed to be put on the waiting list — without a transplant, his life expectancy was less than five years.

His daughter, Shana, was immediately tested to become a living liver donor. She was a match.

Shana and her husband were trying to get pregnant, but when she was told she was able to give a portion of her liver to her father, she immediately went on birth control. If she had gotten pregnant, she no longer could donate.

After a successful surgery, both Michael and Shana recovered quickly. A few months later, Shana received more news – but this time, it was the happy kind.