Toddler Thriving after Aunt Donates Portion of Liver PKG

CLEVELAND - As Crew Dearth plays with his firetruck, his mom Nicole watches on, feeling grateful that her little boy is healthy again.

“Our whole family is just all smiles, so happy,” said Nicole.

In March, Crew was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer, which spread to his lungs.

Nicole said it’s a day she and her husband will never forget.

“I honestly was in shock. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. You don't think your 11-month-old baby, is going to have cancer,” she recalls.

If that wasn’t enough, they learned he also needed a liver transplant.

“The tumor was located around all of the important vessels, all the important things that make the liver work. There was no way to safely remove that,” said Stefanie Thomas, MD, Crew’s oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Children’s.

Dr. Thomas said Nicole wanted to donate part of her liver, but as crew’s primary caretaker, that would’ve been tough to do.

However, in a twist of fate, another relative turned out to be a perfect match – Crew’s aunt Taylor.

“I just had this immediate feeling that I wanted to do it for him. I just can't imagine him not here with us because he's just this little ray of sunshine.”

Thankfully the transplant was a success.

And in October, Crew was able to celebrate being cancer free.

“It's a beautiful thing what Taylor did for him, and to see him thriving and being as healthy as he is because of her, it's something I'll never be able to thank her enough for,” said Nicole.

Dr. Thomas said Crew will continue to be monitored and is meeting many of his developmental milestones.