Sarah Needs Your Help
What:
I have a rare degenerative liver disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). My body does not properly use my liver and bile ducts to filter out everything it should. This illness causes scarring and hardening of the bile ducts in my liver, leading to cirrhosis, and eventually to the point of needing a liver transplant.
Over the past year, healing from giving birth has been compounded by my health changes, and tests have revealed a progression of my liver disease. Because of my health changes, I have been accepted into UCSF’s Liver Transplant Program, and as of November 2021, have been officially added to the national registry for liver transplants.
Who:
I have lived in Petaluma and Sonoma County for almost 15 years and my husband John and I recently became parents to our daughter, Elinor. We truly love the community and beauty that the North Bay provides. I have never let my health challenges get in the way of achieving my dreams – in fact, they have helped spur my passion for increasing resiliency in others, working toward climate justice and health advocacy for those in the community who need it. I am looking forward to showing my daughter the joy that the world can bring when we help raise each other up together.
Updates (2)
December 14, 2022
WE HAVE A DATE!
I HAVE A DONOR!
I AM GETTING A NEW LIVER!
Date of transplant: January 5th, 2023
Living Donor: John Peregoy
Hospital: UC San Francisco
John and I are happy and relieved to share this long awaited news. We both have a difficult road to recovery, but the important thing is we can finally begin to heal and feel whole as a family again. We are thankful to have the support of both of our families and friends to make this work. After many months of discussions and testing, the transplant team gave clearance to John to be a living donor for Sarah.
Many people have asked how they can help our family while we are both going through major surgery and months of recovery. Below are some ways we came up with to help support us during this time:
Meal Train sign up for month of January:
https://mealtrain.com/w92yg1
Amazon Registry wishlist for recovery:
www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1D24POZXGM16S
Fundraising Website for financial support:
helphopelive.org/campaign/19765/
We are fortunate that John ended up being a match. However we know that many people continue to struggle to find their match. The hard reality is there are not enough organs for people who need them. The grief and heartache of waiting for a match is and was agonizing and devastating. Please consider opting in to become a donor to save lives.
How to become an organ donor:
register.donatelifecalifornia.org/register
Thank you for your support. Our family cannot do this without you!
Lots of love,
Sarah and John and Ellie
March 16, 2022
From parents Susan and Jack Kay:
Friends and family, thank you for your caring, as well as your concerns and questions about the health of our daughter Sarah.
The hard part is the waiting and the uncertainty.
For the immediate time, her liver health is relatively “stable”. That means the auto-immune diseases she has are not immediately getting worse, but the difficult reality remains that her condition will worsen until she gets a new liver. For now Sarah is working hard on getting her physical and mental health ready for being able to sustain a transplant surgery.
We are still on the search for a suitable live liver donor. Sarah needs a liver donor with a matching Type O blood type and having relatively good health. We are asking people who are able to be potential live donors to apply at ucliverdonor.org. The UCSF transplant coordinators are able to answer questions regarding donor qualifications and recovery. Please visit this website for a more informative webinar on how to be a donor: ucsf.box.com/s/jlgtva7if1fd71c
Because of confidentiality, we are not allowed to know how this process is progressing, until there is a suitable match.
In the meantime, the caring and donations from many people have been very helpful. Donations have helped with being able to use a medically tailored meal service. Sarah and her husband John, are also more able to plan positive things to do together with baby Elinor, which is a great source for enabling gratitude, which in turn is very important for staying strong and healthy.
As her parents, we are very grateful; thank you.
Photo Galleries (1)
Guestbook
January 6, 2023
Remembering our short visit in October and meeting your daughter, full of light. Sending that loving energy back to you now, may you emerge from this trial in your radiant fullness. Love, Megan K
Megan Kaun
January 5, 2023
Sending love and healing prayers!
Angela Holmes
January 5, 2023
Wishing you both a speedy recovery!
Erin Casteel
