Elise’s Story

Biliary Atresia

My daughter, Elise, was born in October 2011 with the rare pediatric liver disease, Biliary Atresia. We were told that she would likely require a liver transplant by age 2 in order to survive. At age 4 1/2 months, Elise was formally listed for liver transplant as she was deemed “failure to thrive,” we spent more and more time in the hospital, and her quality of life began to decline.
On March 23, 2013, Elise received a life-saving liver transplant at Texas Children’s Hospital. She was discharged home 10 days post-transplant, and almost immediately, she began to really LIVE life! We have had “bumps” along the way, but she’s got this!

Elise has competed in the Transplant Games of America in 2014 in Houston, TX, and 2016 in Cleveland, OH, bringing home numerous medals to Team Texas in Gold, Silver, and Bronze. She is currently in Kindergarten and participating in her 3rd year of dance, and she looks forward to trying out gymnastics starting Summer 2018.
Elise’s diagnosis, transplant, and ongoing care has completely changed our life and priorities, but it has made us much stronger as a family. I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), and I have maintained full-time work through this journey. I make every effort to restore normalcy to our life in all ways possible. All in all, i have never used my social work skills more than I do now.