Kara Thio was born with a condition called biliary atresia. Born without a bile duct, her liver was failing; Kara needed a liver transplant within 12 months or she wouldn't survive. When Kara was eight months old, a donated liver was determined to be a match for her. "I've had a few complications over the years, but 19 years post-transplant, I am healthy," said Kara, who feels fortunate to have met her donor family. Kara is also grateful for the opportunity to tell others about organ donation through Carolina Donor Services and show people how much organ donation can change someone's life.

Kara's Story

Kara Thio was born with a condition called biliary atresia. Born without a bile duct, her liver was failing, and Kara needed a liver transplant before she turned 12 months old or she wouldn't survive. It was 1992, and Kara was 3 months old when her parents found this out. The only local hospital that had a pediatric liver transplant program had a minimum weight requirement of 15 pounds that Kara could never reach. And so her parents had to look elsewhere for a program that would be the best match for Kara, and they found it on the other side of the country: the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.

What was intended to be a 3-day transplant evaluation visit to San Francisco at the end of May 1992 turned into a much longer stay. The doctors told Kara's mom that Kara had to be admitted into the hospital immediately because she was too sick. Kara was put on the waiting list on June 1st. On June 20th, at 8 months old and 11 pounds, a liver match was found. After 15 hours of surgery, Kara had a new liver.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the end of Kara's troubles. Over the next month, doctors were able to help her get through internal bleeding from her liver, severe rejection, and a collapsed right lung. Finally, at the end of July, Kara was discharged to be an outpatient and was able to return to North Carolina in September. "I've had a few complications over the years, but 19 years post-transplant, I am healthy."

Kara feels fortunate to have met her donor family. She is living proof of how giving the Samata family is, but she's not the only one they've helped. They began a non-profit organization that they named after their son, Kara's donor: Evan's Life Foundation.

Kara is also grateful for the opportunity to tell others about organ donation through Carolina Donor Services and show people how much organ donation can change someone's life. Kara felt privileged to be a participant in Carolina Donor Services' "Say 'Yes'" DVD. In addition to raising awareness, Kara is able to show her appreciation to everyone who supports and makes organ donation possible, including the DMV examiners, the medical community, and donor families.

"There are so many people who helped me through my medical problems. I am beyond thankful to each and every one of them: my tireless parents who loved me so much to struggle along side of me and never give up, even when everything seemed to go wrong; everyone in the medical community who treated and cared for me, friends who lent their support, employers who were compassionate and understanding and of course, the Samata family, who made the decision to share the gift of life of their 2-year old son with me. Only because of their love and generosity, I lived."