A Pennsylvania man won Mother’s Day this year by giving his mom the ultimate gift - becoming her living organ donor.Mary Anne Staubhad been living with fatty liver disease for a decade before it progressed into NASH, which claimed the life of both of her parents. As a result of NASH, the 65-year-old grandmother developed cirrhosis and doctors told her she needed a transplant.
Mary Anne’s family was told that finding a living donor would get her off the transplant list sooner and her son,Rick Catalonga, stepped up to volunteer. The 44-year-old was a match and when his mom hesitated because she wanted the dad of two to be healthy for his own kids, he insisted he wanted her around for her family. Doctors removed about 70% of his healthy liver and gave it to his mom and they’re both doing well after the surgery.
These days, Mary Anne is feeling so much better and is slowly getting back to her once-active lifestyle. She says Rick sacrificed a lot for her and that she is “so thankful.” He teases, “I’m probably still not the favorite kid, but I think I closed the gap a little on my sister.”
Source:Observer-Reporter
Photo Credit: Getty