Our Families
Sawyer Spadgenske received his first liver transplant when we was 10 days old. He received his second liver transplant at 10 years old. Sawyer and his family have stayed in the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House 10 times.
At only 10 days old, Sawyer Spadgenske became the youngest-ever successful liver transplant patient in the world. Today as a 10 year old he is recovering from his second liver transplant. His older sister, Lily, received a liver transplant at only 54 days old. The Spadgenske family has called the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House their home away from home on 10 separate occasions.
“Sawyer says he has two homes, our home in Alabama and our home at the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House,” said Sawyer and Lily’s mother, Jennifer. “Since we have stayed there so many times with both Lily and Sawyer it truly is our home away from home and we are so thankful.”
At the time of his birth on April 7, 2000, it was confirmed that Sawyer, like his sister Lily, had Neonatal Hemochromatosis (NH); a rare condition that occurs during gestation when toxic levels of iron accumulate in the liver and other places in the unborn baby's body. At just 10 days old, Sawyer received a second chance at life, a liver transplant. Sawyer did well and came home at seven weeks old.
Over the years, Sawyer has experienced many medical issues related to his transplant. Sadly, his portal vein and his inferior vena cava have occluded, meaning he has no blood flow through these vessels. This has caused him to get varices, bulging vessels that rupture easily and can cause life-threatening bleeds in his esophagus. Sawyer has had two of these major bleeds. Thankfully, the bleeding stopped and his life was saved. Today, 10-year-old Sawyer is recovering from his second liver transplant.
“When your child is that sick, the last place you want to be is away.The House afforded us the opportunity for at least one parent to always be by their sides.”
Jennifer Spadgenske
