OLIVER TURNS 17

I bought this little liver soft toy online and I thought it was clever they named it Oliver. Cos, you know, it’s a liver. So, O-liver. Get it? Aaanyways, the point of this post is to celebrate Oliver’s 17th year.

Today is Thursday 30 March 2023. Exactly 17 years ago on Thursday 30 March 2006, I had a liver transplant.

A liver transplant is a surgery where a patient’s diseased liver is removed and replaced with a donor’s healthy and functioning liver. The healthy and functioning liver can come from a deceased donor, or a portion of healthy/functioning liver can come from a living donor.  

“How has it been?” a fellow liver transplant patient asked me one morning.

“It hasn’t always been smooth sailing” I replied.

The past 17 years hasn’t always been smooth sailing – medically and personally. In fact, there was one year I almost died, and another year, I wanted to die… While the bads were really bad, there were goods too, and I am thankful for both – bad and good times.

Thank You, God, for 17 more years. Thank You for the tough seasons. Thank You for the sunny seasons. Thank You for going through everything with me. Here’s to however more years You’d like to grant me, God.

Happy 17th Oliver.

(Become an organ donor)