Jaylee Bou-Silverio

Type of Donation:       Liver transplant recipient

Age and Location:      Age 15 – Bellflower, CA

Date of Transplant:           December 9, 2009

Sponsor:                      Honored by OneLegacy

JAYLEE’S STORY

When Jaylee was born, she was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare and serious liver condition that occurs when a baby's bile ducts are blocked or missing. Because of this condition, Jaylee would need a liver transplant to save her life. While Jaylee waited, Elaine Jones was in the process of being approved to become a living donor for the second time, a few years after donating a kidney to her uncle. Elaine was approved and she became an altruistic living liver donor to an infant she didn't know. This infant turned out to be Jaylee! Jaylee was just shy of 10 months when she received her liver transplant, and thanks to the gift of life she received from Elaine, she has grown up to be a healthy and thriving teenager.

Since then, Elaine has become a part of Jaylee's family. They get together often, and they consider each other as family. Jaylee looks up to Elaine as a second mother, and she considers Maya, Elaine's daughter, as her older sister. Jaylee wants to be a fashion designer in the future, and her younger siblings admire Jaylee's perseverance while navigating her health journey. They offer her comfort and love, along with Jaylee's parents. Jaylee's younger sister was named after Elaine to honor her living donor.

Jaylee's story has inspired many of her family members and friends to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. She hopes that she can continue inspiring her classmates, friends and family to say "YES" to organ, eye and tissue donation and save lives, the same way her life was saved.