Nurse donates piece of her liver to patient at Children’s Hospital Colorado
As a nurse at Children's Hospital Colorado, Kayla McCarthy works tirelessly to support children awaiting or recovering from organ transplants. Inspired by the resilience and strength of her young patients, McCarthy decided to become a living organ donor through UCHealth's program. In May 2024, she was approved for donation to a female toddler in the same hospital where she works, contributing a piece of her liver to the little girl and making a profound difference in the child's life.
McCarthy’s surgery was done robotically, which allowed for a quicker recovery. She was back to work at two and a half weeks. She has exchanged a letter with the recipient child’s mother and is open to developing a relationship with that family if they are interested. And if not, she’s ok with that too. The goal was to save a life and she did.
Now McCarthy hopes her story inspires other people to consider living organ donation, too. “I'm really thankful to have the opportunity to do that and to contribute in that way,” she said. “Any time that anybody can make an action that just reflects what they care about it, it doesn't compare. It feels really good.”