171 Ashley Ave.
Charleston, SC 29425
843-792-1414
800-424-MUSC
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Patient Stories
Elizabeth Walter
By all outward appearances, Elizabeth Walter was a healthy and playful child for the first four years of her life.
Then, in mid-October 2000, she suddenly began tiring easily, and her complexion grew jaundiced. By the end of the
month, she was in the care of a Greenville pediatric gastroenterologist, who stunned her parents with the news
that Elizabeth would need a new liver.
"The diagnosis hit us like a train," said Elizabeth's father, Todd. "It was the first time we had heard the word
'transplant' and its potential for true liver failure in describing Elizabeth's condition."
Within hours, Elizabeth was placed on a transport plane headed towards the Medical University, the only facility
in South Carolina where such a transplant could be performed. Over the next three weeks, doctors at MUSC prepared
her - and her parents - for the upcoming procedure.
When her condition suddenly grew critical to the point where she could no longer wait for an organ donation, the
family turned to their only other option: a live donor liver transplant. On Nov. 6, 2000, doctors took a small
section of Todd Walter's liver and gave it to his daughter. It was the first successful transplant of its kind
in the state.
Todd remembers the patience and care displayed by everyone involved in the transplant. He was moved when one of
his anesthesiologists eased his worries by reassuring him that his daughter was in good hands. "At the time, it
was the best words that someone could share with me," he remembers.
"We're thankful for what God has given us-a chance at life," said Todd. "We're also thankful for a place like
MUSC. Everyone from the transplant team-surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, intensive care staff all the way
to the environmental services staff have helped in caring for Elizabeth and me. It was a huge undertaking among
a lot of people and an amazing experience."
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