Prayers for Aaron’s BA Fight for Liver Transplant

My heart breaks more and more everyday to watch the pain my sister, Kimberly Hartnett and her husband go through. My baby nephew Aaron was diagnosed 9/10/2019 with the rare liver disease that only affects newborn babies called Biliary Atresia (BA). Aaron  was born July 18, 2019 a happy and healthy baby.  My sister and her husband were over the moon being first time parents to Aaron. Symptoms that were not normal of a new born began to appear and numerous tests were completed with a life threatening diagnosis. Aaron was born with a rare liver disease that happens to 1 in every 18,000 baby’s born.  Aaron was scheduled for exploratory corrective surgery 9/25/19 undergoing a Kasai surgery procedure creating a bile duct for Aaron’s liver to drain bile.  Our family found out weeks later with no improvement to Aaron’s health the Kasai procedure was not successful in buying time for Aaron to grow and thrive awaiting a liver transplant one day. Aaron has fought a  battle everyday while his liver enzymes sky rocket and the jaundice of his skin and eyes worsen.  My sister and her husband have went from new parents to parents advocating for their son in doctors offices, hospital ER’s and PICU’s regularly.  Aaron is now 5 months old and has progressed to being diagnosed with liver failure.  They now await Aaron to be medically evaluated to get on the liver transplant list.  Currently Aaron has lived many weeks and holidays in various PICU’s with his parents. Aaron has even had his first helicopter ride to a hospital hours away days before Christmas and continues to get medical treatment with no discharge date.

Unfortunately, as with any major medical illness and surgery comes financial hardships. Aaron’s  mother can no longer work due to Aaron’s illness progressing and PICU stays becoming longer and longer with each admit of Aaron needing medical care. Aaron’s father struggles burning the candle at both ends, working to provide insurance for Aaron’s medical care and staying many nights in the PICU to be by his sons side.

Aaron is currently in the PICU with a bad case of RSV and ascites with respiratory complications.  Aaron’s parents have been informed by several medical staff Aaron can not go home. Aaron has to be stable with those current medical issues before he can transfer to Pittsburgh for his awaited  evaluation and liver transplant.  Aaron must have a liver transplant in order to survive Biliary Atresia. Our family is anticipating a transplant in the next few months. Aaron is fighting a battle against Biliary Atresia like a grown adult.  Aaron is fighting while his liver is failing.

 We hope and pray Aaron will be matched for his blood type (A-) quickly.  Once Aaron is matched with a living organ donor or a liver from the transplant list Aaron will undergo liver transplant surgery.
Once Aaron receives a liver transplant, his parents have to be living within an hour of Pittsburgh hospital for at least the first 3 months after surgery.  Currently they live several hours away. No child or family should ever have to go through this. No family should have to worry about how they will keep a roof over their head or food on the table when a child is ill.

We are asking for strong amounts of prayer and support for Aaron and his parents over the next few months. This page is also a place to post words of encouragement and prayer for Aaron, his parents and the family.

Aaron and his parents are at a point of needing help financially so at this time we have decided to share Aaron’s journey in being a Biliary Atresia Warrior. Any amount of donation will be graciously accepted and utilized to help Aaron fight and stay well. If you are not able to donate at this time,  please bless this family by sharing his Go FundMe page. 

Please help Aaron be a warrior in his fight against Biliary Atresia! Help fight the BA war!