Mercy's Liver Transplant Clinic Celebrates Organ Donors, Recipients

The Center for Liver and Hepatobiliary Diseases at Mercy features a Liver Transplant Clinic which prepares patients both prior to and following liver transplant surgery (Mercy does not perform liver transplants). Each holiday season, the Clinic recognizes the patient participants with a special reception and dinner. This year’s event, held December 14th, 2016 in Mercy’s McAuley Plaza Conference Center, featured an especially powerful story involving one young man’s incredible gift.

Lutherville resident Ryan Shupert, 31, had donated a portion of his liver to his mother, Carolyn; sadly, only months later, Ryan died in a tragic incident in Ocean City, MD. As Ryan was an organ donor, his organs, including his heart, lungs, kidneys, and the remaining portion of his liver, were donated to five individuals (three women, one man, and one 3-year-old boy), several of whom were on hand for the Dec. 14th event.

“I was very sick and we were the same blood type and we matched. He just came to me and said he would take care of me. He did,” Carolyn Shupert said.

The family is grateful their son’s memory lives on through others.

“We have the tragedy but to know that others live, I actually live because of him,” Carolyn added.

“It’s a good example of one person giving the most precious gift to many strangers to save their lives,” said Dr. Paul Thuluvath, Medical Director of Mercy’s Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease.

One organ recipient, Jane Morelend, had four tumors in her liver and needed a transplant.

“When I got the phone call, I was there the next the morning, bright and early,” said Morelend, who used the opportunity of the evening’s ceremonies to thank Ryan Shupert’s parents, face-to-face.

Every year, thousands of patients in the U.S. wait for organ donations. Many die waiting.

“God knows we need those organs here. Don’t take them with you,” said Mercy hepatologist Dr. Anurag Maheshwari.

Mercy’s Liver Transplant Clinic offers pre-operative evaluation and screening for liver transplants and post-operative management to improve health for successful liver transplant outcomes. Following transplant, Mercy physicians provide management of recurrent Hepatitis C.

The Liver Transplant Clinic event was covered extensively by area media, including WJZ-TV13. For their report, click here.