Detroit Mom Shares Story Of Daughter's Life-Saving Transplant In Hopes Of Educating Others
(CBS DETROIT)- Life for little Paris Gibson, didn't start out so easy. Just 2 months after giving birth, mom Porsha received some shocking news concerning her baby girl.
"We did the liver biopsy and they did an ultrasound of the liver and they said Paris has cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure, failure to thrive, so I'm lost at this point," said Porsha Crudup of Detroit.
As any parent would be. Porsha says she didn't understand how an infant could have a disease that usually affects adults who suffer from alcoholism. She said she didn't drink while pregnant. So how could this happen.
"Paris was very itchy, she was real bloody, scars everywhere in and out the hospital, she was on a feeding tube," Crudup said.
All before her 1st birthday. Porsha said Doctors told her, Paris would need a liver transplant in order to survive. Like hundreds in Michigan, little Paris went on the donor waiting list. A list that's high, especially in the African American community, but numbers are coming down thanks to an organization working to educate the black community on organ donation.
"We are dispelling myths about organ donation in the minority community and so there are quite a few people that are now signing up for organ donation," said Erika Dudley, MBA, BSN, CNML ,Director of Transplant Services at Children's Hospital of Michigan.
Porsha says she's thankful for them. Little Paris received a liver in January 2020, now a healthy 4-year-old she's looking forward to starting kindergarten in the Fall.
"She has not been back in the hospital, Paris, she's been good," said Crudup who's Daughter Received Life Saving Liver Transplant at age 2.
It's all thanks to the brave family who choose to honor their little one by donating and saving the life of another.
A virtual symposium to educate the community on being living donors and addressing the mental health challenges that comes with caring for a receipt will be held March 17th.
More information about the symposium and ways to become a donor is below.
https://www.detroitmottepfoundation.org/symposium
https://www.childrensdmc.org/services/transplant-center
© 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
