LEWISTON, N.Y. (WKBW) — An 8-month-old girl is recovering from a liver transplant after her family received the call they had been praying for — a matching liver had been found.
Trevor, Hazel's father, said the call came on the evening of Feb. 20.
"The evening of February 20, about 10:30 at night, we got the phone call that a matching liver had been found," Trevor said. "So we drove through the night. We got to Children's Hospital UPMC in Pittsburgh about three o'clock Saturday morning, Hazel underwent the surgery on Sunday."
WATCH: Hazel's liver transplant: 8-month-old recovering after life-saving surgery
The family had described the moment they first received the call as emotional.
"It was bittersweet to get the call, because we knew that it meant that was the beginning of a healthy life for Hazel, but it also meant that she was going to undergo a pretty extreme surgery," Trevor said.
After surgery, Hazel spent about a week in the pediatric ICU. She is now continuing to recover at UPMC, where she and her mother are expected to remain for several weeks. Trevor is back home in Lewiston, caring for their two sons while waiting for the day their family is together again.
"She's doing well now, she's on the transplant floor, smiling, laughing, playing. She'll be there for a while," Trevor said. "The family's very happy that she received a new liver, and we're looking forward to seeing some test results that show she's cancer-free."
During this time, Hazel's family also found support from another local transplant patient — North Tonawanda teen Meredith Roberts, who recently received a life-saving liver of her own. The two even met at UPMC, sharing a moment of hope.
While Hazel still has a long road of recovery ahead, her father says he is already thinking about the moment she comes home.
"I'm looking forward to holding her, you know, giving her a big hug and welcoming her home and watching her laugh and play with her brothers. That's, that's, that's what I'm looking forward to," Trevor said.
Hazel's family says they are grateful for the community's prayers and support and are encouraging people who want to help to consider donating blood for pediatric cancer patients.
Additional Resources:
Living Kidney Donation
Pediatric Blood Drive Information
