Ohio Girl Gets New Chance At Life Thanks To Stranger's Liver Donation
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – You'd never know by her smiles that this little girl was near death and is without a family to call her own.
She's been living at Children's Hospital since January, but the staff there makes her feel like a princess in a castle – singing along to Elsa's "Let It Go."
Jamie's fairytale came true Wednesday when doctors at UPMC performed a 10-hour surgery, giving her a new liver.
"She would have died without a transplant within a period some months," said Dr. George Mazariegos.
Jamie has a disease called Biliary Atresia. But without family to donate a liver, Trumbull County Children's Services had to find someone else.
Once Jamie's story became public, one man came to Jamie's rescue.
That man was 28-year-old David Denovchek. He had all of the qualifications, including blood type.
"This gentleman gave and sacrificed because of good fortune he's had and wanting to share that with others who less fortunate," said Mazariegos.
"In a day and age when the word hero is thrown around pretty freely, David epitomizes what that word means," said Marilyn Pape with Trumbull County Children Services.
Jamie will remain at Children's Hospital for another month and then back at home with her foster family in Ohio.
The hope is that in addition to a new liver, Jamie will also soon have a new family, adopted by her foster parents or another family.
"We were so excited at the thought that this could be the beginning of a new life for her," said Mazariegos.
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