Matthew's Transplant Journey

CELEBRATE

the Gift of Life

WINTER 2021 | VOLUME 35

Matthew's Transplant Journey 1 Message from the Chairman 2 Message from the CEO 2 Message from the SVP, 3 Fund Development Message from the Director 3 of Family Relations Matthew's Transplant Journey Continued 4 Foundation Families Enjoying 6 the Season

Giving Tuesday

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A Week of Giving 7 The Foundation Wishes WestJet a 8 Happy and Successful 25th Anniversary StayWell Partnership Announcement 10 Partner Spotlight: AWIN 11 Thank You to All Our Partners 11

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Liver transplant recipient, Matthew.

Matthew’s Transplant Journey

Only 40 days after being born, Sheryl and Philip watched their baby son Matthew get wheeled away to an operating room. They were so hopeful that the surgery he was about to undergo would mean he would not need a liver transplant at such a young age. Unfortunately, things did not go as hoped, and this hospital admission was the first of many. Matthew is Sheryl and Philip’s second son. His brother, Carter, is six years older than him, and the family was so excited to welcome Matthew into the world on January 30th, 2020, after trying to get pregnant for many years. Having already had a child, Sheryl and Philip were concerned throughout February when they noticed Matthew’s urine was dark yellow, his eyes were yellow, and he had a pattern of being sleepy most of the time. The family’s midwives ordered a blood requisition on March 4th as Matthew’s jaundice persisted. On March 6th the results came back that Matthew’s bilirubin levels were very high, which is abnormal. The doctor at the Guelph General Hospital wanted Matthew admitted to McMaster Children’s Hospital, 50 kilometres from the family’s home for further tests. Once he was admitted and completed more tests, Matthew was diagnosed with biliary atresia. Both Sheryl and Philip knew that they wanted to do as much as they could to help Matthew. Matthew TRANSPLANT NEEDED: LIVER HOME: GUELPH, ON