Christian

Autoimmune Hepatitis

Funny, charming, unpredictable and amazing, are all words that describe 11-year old Christian. He lights up a room and his presence is immediately felt. Christian loves life and loves to laugh and make people smile. He has big dreams and is not afraid to go after them. This courageous fifth grader is ready to take on the world.

Christian has been a fighter since day one and he has had to be. He was born prematurely and spent a week in the hospital before going home with his family. When Christian was a few months old, he was admitted to the hospital several times with pneumonia and other respiratory conditions. After several months in and out of the hospital, numerous tests and a biopsy, Christian was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis before his first birthday. Autoimmune hepatitis is a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks liver cells. This immune response causes inflammation of the liver, also called hepatitis. Christian lives with the challenges of liver diseases daily and may face having a liver transplant in his future.

Christian was granted a wish by the Make-A-Wish Foundation to go to Disneyland on his ninth birthday. That sparked something in Christian and he began to ask what he could do to pay it forward. He has since been involved in the American Liver Foundation’s Liver Life Walk and Flavors events.

At such a young age, Christian understands the importance of research to find a cure for liver disease. He dreams of becoming a movie star and says that when he does, he will make sure to donate to find a cure so that other kids don’t have to go through all that he has gone through.