Baby girl with end-stage liver disease needs a liver donor

Time is running out for an ailing baby girl in Singapore and her parents are seeking a liver donor for her.

In September, Vicky Cheng posted a call for help on Facebook for her daughter who suffers from a deadly liver disease called biliary atresia.

It is a rare condition in infants where bile is trapped in the liver due to blocked ducts. If left untreated, the blocked bile flow will cause liver damage and eventually liver failure. 

Although the baby underwent surgery to drain the bile when she was six weeks old, it did not work out for her, Cheng wrote on a crowd-funding page.

Her condition worsened over time and she is suffering from end-stage liver disease.

Now, the baby needs a liver transplant.

Unfortunately, her parents are not suitable liver donors. While the baby's placed on a waiting list from deceased donors, the odds of finding a match are low, Cheng shared.

Call for liver donors

After the Facebook post was circulated, the family has received much support from netizens who contacted them asking how they can help their baby.

So far, three people have volunteered to donate part of their livers but they turned out to be unsuitable candidates.

Nevertheless, the family is grateful to have so many people offering help and providing financial aid — both from people close to them as well as those whom they have never met.

The National University Hospital continues to be their transplant coordinator and has been updating the family on whether there has been any potential matches for their daughter. 

Liver donors should be:

• Medically fit
• Aged 21 to 55 years old
• Blood type B+ or O
• Weight range to be below 70kg

This article was first published in theAsianparent.