Families meet for first time after Utah’s first pediatric paired liver exchange and transplant saves two children
Intermountain Health Primary Children's Hospital
Salt Lake City, Utah
Photo courtesy of Intermountain Health
In a moment filled with gratitude, two families met for the first time after a groundbreaking medical event at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. Their children — 7-month-old Elie Tibbs and 15-year-old Marissa Kauffman — were saved through Utah’s first pediatric paired liver exchange, a procedure that gave them a second chance at life and forged a powerful bond between strangers who benefitted from a complex solution to a life-threatening challenge.
Elie was born with biliary atresia, a rare and dangerous liver disorder. Her father, Justin, stepped forward to donate part of his liver, only to find it was too large for his tiny daughter. Meanwhile, Marissa was battling primary sclerosing cholangitis, another rare liver disease, and her neighbor’s offer to donate a part of her own liver turned out to be too small. So, the hospital’s transplant team devised a remarkable paired exchange: Justin’s liver went to Marissa, and Annie’s smaller segment was perfect for Elie.
Now, both children are thriving, their futures bright with possibility. “It’s incredible to see these two families meet each other for the first time and to witness the positive impact of their selflessness,” said Zach Kastenberg, M.D,, director of pediatric surgical oncology at Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital. “To see these children thriving, knowing their past struggles is an absolute joy for caregivers at this hospital.”