Eight-month-old Finn O’Sullivan was in dire need of an organ transplant to save his life, but after several failed matches the infant finally found a much needed donor in his godmother.
Sarah McKitterick, childhood friend of Finn’s mom, Kate Mullen, turned out to be a perfect match for the baby boy, who was diagnosed with two rare liver conditions.
Finn suffers from biliary atresia, a condition impacting the liver and bile ducts, and Alpha-1, an inherited ailment that can cause liver disease.
“She was my neighbor, my best friend, my maid of honor, she is Finn’s godmother, and now she is forever a part of Finn,” Mullen wrote about McKitterick on Facebook. “She is an angel on earth, she is a superhero. The whole world can learn from her selflessness. When Sarah learned from the living donor coordinator she was blood type compatible with Finn, she screamed with excitement into the phone. She immediately started eating liver enhancing foods – eliminating all others.”
The life-saving surgery was performed April 18 at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian. Doctors told ABC News that Finn’s situation was “unusual” and “he would not have lived for long” if it weren’t for McKitterick.
“Thank you everyone for the wonderful support over the last few days, it means more than you know. I still have yet to go through all of the lovely messages, but promise to soon now that I’m out of the hospital,” McKitterick said in a Facebook post.
The infant’s family set up a donation account through the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, a nonprofit that assists families with medical-related expenses, to help offset the baby boy’s mounting medical bills.
“Little Finn is still in the hospital adjusting to his new liver; please continue to send your thoughts and prayers his way,” McKitterick said.
Head on over to Facebook to follow Finn’s journey.
