Brian Munn of Binghamton, New York donated part of his liver to his 9-month-old son, Caleb, and this Father's Day both will celebrate a healthy recovery together this Sunday.
"That day, I was ready to hop on the operating table, as soon as they told me," Brian
told FoxNews.com, describing the day he was told he was a compatible donor for his son.
Up until that point, Caleb had been jaundiced — a condition that usually goes away a few weeks after birth. Three months after he was born, however, Caleb was still a yellow color.
He was soon diagnosed with biliary atresia, a type of bile-blocking liver inflammation. He needed a donation, and Brian and his wife Brittany soon reached out to friends and family seeking donors.
Brittany was ineligible because she was less than six months postpartum, and Brian didn't apply because he had a different blood type from Caleb.
Two weeks later, doctors asked Brian why he didn't apply and he explained the mismatched blood types. What he didn't know, however, was that because Caleb was less than a year old, he could receive his liver donation from someone with a different blood type.
"I’ve always heard that you can’t mix [different] blood types because all these issues arise, but for them to say . . . it’s really not a big deal because he wasn’t over 1 year of age, it took a bit to retrain my mind," Brittany said.
Brian and Caleb underwent surgery on March 20. After a few minor complications, Caleb came home from the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx on April 13.
Brian, Brittany, Caleb, as well as the other two children, Noah, 4, and Elise, 2, will celebrate Father's Day this year as a happy, healthy family.
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