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Liam M.D. enfant parrainé 24h Tremblant

Organ donation saved my life!

Liam M.D. , who received a new heart

Hi, my name is Liam Morris Dubois, I'm 11 years old and I had a heart transplant.

Until June 2017, Liam seemed like a healthy little boy. He had yet to show any signs of a rare heart problem in children: left ventricular cardiomyopathy caused by laminopathy, due to a genetic mutation. Liam was 6 years old when the first symptoms of the disease appeared. He was hospitalized with what was thought to be a simple case of gastroenteritis. It was quite a shock for the family to learn that he would need a new heart to live.

On July 27, 2018, after 14 months—427 days exactly—at Montreal Children’s Hospital, eight-year-old Liam received a new heart. The wait was long, and Liam had been living with a Berlin heart all that time. Without the artificial heart, he would not have survived. Children who receive such a device usually keep it for no more than 11 months, as complications begin to emerge beyond that point. This was Liam’s case: he suffered two strokes and an artificial heart pump malfunction that could have been fatal. 

“When we got the news Liam would be getting a new heart, everything went really fast! The medical team arrived, and three hours later, he was in the operating room. It was like winning the lottery, like a miracle had finally happened!” says Kim, Liam’s mother. Despite his young age, Liam understood someone had had to die for him to receive the heart.

The 12-hour operation was successful. Just 13 days later, Liam, who defied all odds, left the hospital to start a new life at home, where he hadn’t been for over a year. Liam feels it is important to raise awareness about organ donations. He has even made YouTube videos encouraging people to sign their donor cards. For this well-behaved boy and his family, there is a before and after. “We’re changed forever. We’re more resilient, but also more fragile,” says his mother.
 

The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation gives hope to children and their families!

 

 

For the families of our child heroes, participating in the 24h Tremblant is an opportunity to celebrate life, courage and hope.

Thank you for being an important part of this vast wave of solidarity!

You’re giving children hope for a brighter future through various programs and research projects funded by the 24h and its beneficiaries: Fondation Charles-Bruneau, CHEO Foundation, CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation, The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation and Fondation Tremblant. 

Your donations matter. They make a real difference in the lives of Liam and thousands of children.
 

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