Erika at Yale New Haven Hospital
It started with stomach issues and severe weight loss. In 2014, Erika Farrell went to test for Crohn’s Disease. The bloodwork results revealed her liver function was abnormal, and the biopsy led doctors to diagnose Erika with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and autoimmune hepatitis.
What causes chronic liver diseases?
PSC is a chronic liver disease where the bile ducts inside and outside the liver become inflamed and scarred, leading to narrowing and potential blockage. Autoimmune hepatitis is where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the liver, causing inflammation and damage.
“I had absolutely no energy at all. I was very itchy all over my body. I had frequent blood infections which led me to be on intravenous antibiotics for a long period of time,” said Erika.
In December 2023, doctors determined Erika’s repeated blood infections pointed to the need for a liver transplant. There were more than 500 referrals for Erika after hearing her story on the news and reading about it on social media. Six months later, a match was found – a mother from Massachusetts.
“The age cutoff for liver donation is 50 years old and she was 49 at the time, so I got very lucky with her,” added Erika. “She was a complete stranger and now, she is such an important person to me.
Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) is the only health system in the state that carries a living donor liver transplant program.
What is the process of finding a living donor?
While a lot of donors come forward, it can take time to ensure they are the right match. Donors’ blood type, liver size and volume, and cellular immunology are all looked at.
Erika celebrates post-surgery.
“A donor might be ready, but timing is everything. We had to catch Erika in between her infections to ensure she was ready for the transplant,” said Uyen To, MD, transplant hepatologist of Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) and assistant professor of Digestive Disease at Yale School of Medicine (YSM).
Her story spread like wildfire after Farrell’s sister started a GoFundMe page. Local media outlets interviewed Farrell, and her story was shared thousands of times on social media.
“Her entire liver was green because of cholestasis, it increased in size, and the tissues around the liver were very inflamed,” said Sharma Sidharth, FACS, an abdominal transplant surgeon at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) and assistant professor of Surgery of Living Donor Transplants, YSM.
“A healthy liver should be slightly brown in color with a pink tone to it. It should feel like a nice sponge.”
Drs. Sidharth and To performed the transplant procedure in June 2024.
Why is Donate Life Month Important?
“Erika’s life is forever changed by this. It all started through the word of mouth, and someone just stepped forward not knowing who Erika was personally. That’s the beauty of humanity,” added Dr. To.
Farrell said she owes her life to the team of doctors at YNHH who never gave up on her.
“They are my team of superheroes and went above and beyond for me,” added Erika. “They were the ones who knew my body best and constantly advocated for me.
According to Dr. Sidharth, approximately 15 to 20 patients die every day waiting for an organ. The liver, apart from skin, is the only organ in the body that can regenerate and grow back.
After the procedure, Farrell stayed in the hospital for ten days. Since then, she has used her story to advocate the importance of living donors, who can give people a second chance at life, like herself.
“I feel incredible. I have a new perspective on life and I’m so grateful to have another try at life,” added Erika.
Erica and her transplant team.
