Journey to a New Life
“We thank God and the family who donated the liver every day.”
LaToya Robinson walked across the stage at her high school graduation last May with her mother tearfully watching. Latoya, diagnosed with auto-immune hepatitis when she was 16, had almost run out of time on a transplant waiting list when she received a donated liver last March. “We were shocked when the doctors said she had a chronic illness and her only option was a liver transplant,” recalls her mother, Sherilyn. But Latoya battled back, getting stronger every day after the transplant. Despite extensive rehabilitation and a “mind-numbing” assortment of anti-rejection medications, Latoya kept up with schoolwork with the help of teachers and a home tutor, securing a 3.7 grade point average in her last semester of her senior year. “To be able to go to prom and graduate with my friends and classmates on time was so wonderful,” says Latoya, now in college and hoping for a career in nutrition. “I feel that receiving a liver was the best thing that ever happened to me,” she says. “It had to be a gift from God, giving me another chance. I am so grateful to the family of the donor and would like to thank everyone who helped me on my journey to a new life. I now can live my life like a normal person.”
“We thank God and the family who donated the liver every day,” her mother says. “I had hope and faith and now my daughter has the chance to live a full life. I just smile and cry every time I think about it.”
