Frankfort man noticed a Fb publish a few stranger needing a liver. He donated 60% of his.

When Chris Staehlin and his spouse requested mutual pals a few stranger who lived a couple of miles away, the identical phrases saved coming again: Good father. Good husband. Would do something for his kids.

These phrases resonated with Staehlin, a Frankfort dad with two boys of his personal.

“That’s one thing that I need to be recognized for,” Staehlin mentioned. “No matter different issues that individuals will say, that’s one thing that I would like folks to say about me as effectively.”

Months later, the 2 Illinois males met in a Chicago hospital room with their crying households, after Staehlin donated 60% of his liver, dad to dad.

All of it started with an evening of social media scrolling on the sofa.

Final summer season, Chris’ spouse, Sarah, was wanting by means of Fb and got here throughout the face of Dan Droszcz, who lives in Tinley Park. She turned to her husband and mentioned, “You all the time give blood. It is a little totally different, proper? However you’d do it.”

The subsequent morning, whereas driving to his job as a pharmacist, Staehlin, 35, requested his spouse to ship over the flyer. Days later, he reached out to the quantity on it, which linked him to transplant coordinators at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

In the meantime, Droszcz, 52, and his spouse had been scrambling to flow into the plea for a liver — the one remaining possibility they realistically needed to lengthen his life, they mentioned. After getting identified with terminal liver most cancers in 2021, the couple turned to strangers and social media.

“The dialog was: If we don’t do one thing, I’ll by no means get a liver,” he mentioned. “We have to do one thing.”

Droszcz, who sells orthopedic gear, posted the flyer in every hospital the place he labored. His spouse, Nancy, who works in a college, posted the flyer within the college and circulated it amongst schooling colleagues. They usually hoped for the unfold of social media to search out its technique to somebody who may have the ability to assist.

Since that night time on the sofa, for the Staehlins, the dialog circled round one easy thought: What would they need somebody to do for them?

Sooner or later final June, Staehlin arrived at Northwestern for a day of analysis to turn into a donor. His cellphone name had been adopted by paperwork, which was adopted by an invite to return to the hospital.

That day, he met a nurse, a psychiatrist, members of the surgical procedure group, a social employee and somebody referred to as a donor advocate who targeted solely on his pursuits — somebody who helped him perceive the implications of the process and warranted him he might change his thoughts if he wanted. They mentioned issues comparable to how lengthy he’d be away from his kids.

Folks fascinated with discovering out extra about organ donation can discover assets right here.

Dr. Daniela Ladner, a transplantation surgeon at Northwestern who assisted in Staehlin’s surgical procedure, mentioned many individuals are unaware of the choice to turn into a residing donor, or the necessity for donors.

“Folks don’t know that you would be able to’t stay and not using a liver, so someone whose liver utterly fails will in the end die,” Ladner mentioned.

Residing donations are uncommon however efficient. Out of the 9,528 liver transplants in 2022, simply 603 had been from a residing donor, based on the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Community. As of Monday, greater than 10,000 folks within the U.S. had been ready for a liver donation. The federal Well being Assets and Providers Administration studies that 17 folks die every day ready for an organ transplant.

“A little bit a part of me was dying on daily basis,” Droszcz mentioned, “and I in all probability would nonetheless be ready. And a part of me could be getting sicker and sicker, simply ready. Thank God for this individual.”

Not like different organs, the matching necessities are merely the identical blood kind. Folks can donate as much as 70% of their very own liver, and it’ll regrow in months and even weeks, Ladner mentioned. And residing transplants are ideally suited as a result of they arrive from a wholesome donor, are instantly transplanted and surgical procedures might be deliberate upfront.

Youngsters may profit from a residing liver donation.

“Most individuals are actually good folks, and most of the people actually need to assist different folks,” Ladner mentioned. “And given the chance and the data, they are going to.”

The Droszcz household obtained a name final summer season, telling them a donor was out there and keen. Surgical procedure was set for Aug. 24.

“It was unreal,” Droszcz mentioned. “We couldn’t consider it.”

That morning, the Staehlins walked into Northwestern. From social media, they knew what the Droszcz household appeared like. Silently, Staehlin thought of that the couple standing by the elevator may be the Droszczs.

“I turned to my spouse and mentioned, ‘I believe that was them,’ and she or he mentioned, ‘That was positively them.’”

Moments later, they entered a separate elevator.

He didn’t, he mentioned, need to meet Droszcz simply but. He needed to avoid wasting the stranger, and if he was sincere, himself, from emotional funding and disappointment ought to something go improper.

Each males had been in surgical procedure for hours. Three days later, Staehlin walked 5 miles within the hospital halls. The surgical procedure was on a Wednesday; he was discharged on a Saturday. Today, “I’m again to regular,” he mentioned.

For Dan, the method was a bit extra concerned. It took a multidisciplinary group virtually a 12 months to deal with the most cancers and assist him turn into eligible for the transplant. Earlier than the transplant, he had radiation and surgical procedure, which saved the most cancers contained sufficient for a transplant to be doable. He stayed within the hospital for per week after the transplant.

Days after the surgical procedure, Staehlin appeared within the doorway of Droszcz’s hospital room.

“How’s my liver treating you?” he mentioned. The 2 males, each in hospital robes, embraced as Staehlin bent towards Droszcz in his mattress.

“It’s treating me good,” Droszcz mentioned by means of tears. Inside minutes, Staehlin was assembly the household, together with Droszcz’s kids.

“We’re mother and father too,” Sarah Staehlin informed them. They confirmed footage of their boys, 4 and seven. “We knew you had been a dad, and you must be round in your children.”

They talked about taking part in golf, about possibly beginning by seeing a baseball sport collectively. Droszcz is a Cubs fan; Staehlin roots for the Sox. Staehlin jokingly requested, “How do you’re feeling being half White Sox fan now?”

Since then, the 2 males have gotten collectively for walks within the neighborhood, for dinner, for lunch. They speak about their children. Droszcz had coached his children in soccer whereas they had been rising up; Staehlin is teaching his boys in baseball and basketball now.

Droszcz mentioned his two sons and his daughter, all youngsters, understood. It added to his ache, realizing that they knew what his prognosis might imply.

“All of them took it actually onerous,” he mentioned. “They’re doing good now.”

Alison Bowen is a freelancer.