WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WKBW) — 35-year fire service personnel, Jay Mazurkiewicz, was able to get a new lease on life, all thanks to a liver transplant he had been on the waiting list for since the end of last year.
"We got a phone call in the afternoon here from Westchester Medical Center, and they stated that they had a liver and we needed to get down there," Mazurkiewicz explained.
The call came about a month after I shared his story. At the time, his friends in the fire community and beyond were raising funds for his medical expenses.
After Mazurkiewicz got the call, he and his wife Donna set forth for a six-hour trek to downstate New York.
"I had to be there that evening, and surgery was set for 5 o'clock in the morning," Mazurkiewicz said.
While his liver transplant was in February, he was not off the hook yet. Shortly after his surgical procedure, he was in for yet another battle: lung infections while in the hospital. He ended up in the hospital for about 80 days. Eight of those days were in the ICU.
"That had nothing to do with the liver; that I developed an abscess behind the liver, under one of my lungs," Mazurkiewicz said. "Almost didn't make it out of the ICU at that time. My carbon dioxide levels were at a fatal level."
He finally returned home to West Seneca about two and a half weeks ago.
He and his family said they are immensely grateful for the unwavering support from those near and far.
"I'm very thankful," his daughter, Allison Mazurkiewicz said. "Our whole family is super thankful, just people we work with, family, random people, it's just been the support has been so crazy and probably the biggest part of the recovery and everything we've gone through."
With this second chance at life, the father hopes others will participate in organ donation.
"If you have a thought out there to donate your organs, please do," he said. "I've had it checked on my license for as long as I can remember."
Those who want to help Jay with his medical expenses have another chance to do so. A fundraiser is happening on June 7 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Knights of Columbus on Legion Drive. Tickets are $30.
