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Katherine's Story

Katherine was always a petite girl. When compared with her twin brother, even at birth she was noticeably smaller. But when Katherine's parents, Jessica and Kevin, took Katherine to her 4 month well-check up, it wasn't just her size that was concerning. Her skin and eyes was turning a dark yellow and her stomach was distended.

"The doctors in Louisville did some lab work and an ultrasound," Jessica says. "She was so small, it looked like she had no gallbladder and her liver enzymes were elevated."

Soon, Katherine developed an infection and her doctors sent her to Cincinnati Children's to receive the best care possible.

"That's when we found out she needed a new liver sooner than we'd originally imagined," Jessica says. The family waited for a month to see if a donor liver would become available.

"Both my husband and I were tested to see if we could be matches," Jessica says. "It turned out that we could both donate, but my husband and I chose me because I was a better match size-wise. My blood vessels, body, liver are all smaller and would work better in her tiny little body."

On her 6 month birthday, Katherine got her new liver and began her recovery in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, later moving to the Gastroenterology unit.

"We were really lucky to have Cincinnati Children's so close to us," Jessica says. "We wanted to be able to spend time with our other children while Katherine got the care she needed. We were blessed to have such an amazing team and amazing doctors just a couple hours from our home."

And Katherine's family happily makes that two-hour trip in the summers, not just to see her doctors, but to celebrate her care and support others by participating in Cincinnati Walks for Kids. They will again be at the fundraising event this year on Saturday, Sept. 26.

You can join them and help kids like Katherine receive the best care possible when you register today.