This is the emotional moment a mom is reunited with her seven-month-old son after donating part of her liver to save his life.
Within a few days of baby Luka Moss being born in Salt Lake City, Utah, he began showing signs of having high bilirubin levels, which can manifest into jaundice.
His condition didn’t improve, and further testing through an ultrasound showed there were no signs of a gallbladder or connective bile ducts between the liver and intestines.
Luka, whose skin was yellow, was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia, a rare liver disease, and was required to have Kasai surgery to connect the small intestine to the liver as a replacement for the missing bile ducts.
His mom Ashlynn said Kasai procedures have a 50 percent success rate, and after the surgery, Luka’s condition improved but his skin continued to get more yellow.
This led to the youngster being listed for a liver transplant, and though dad Hayden tested, his body mass meant he could not be a match.
With Luka’s condition worsening, the family received some crushing news when they were told a liver had been found, only for flight delays and complications to mean the organ was no longer usable.
Ashlynn said she knew she had to be the “bravest scared mom she could have been,” and so doctors rushed through her donor testing, which led to her being deemed a perfect match for Luka.
Having had five days to prepare for the donation, Ashlynn then headed to a hospital suited for adult care, while Luka headed to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, around 20 minutes away.
When Ashlynn awoke from the operation, she was told the donation had been a success, and three days later she was released to reunite with Luka once more.
As she walked into the ward, Ashlynn, holding her liver area, looked down at her seven-month-old son and fought back tears.
The moment, on June 29, 2023, was captured on video, and Ashlynn then shared it on social media years later in a throwback post.
Following the operation, Luka faced a difficult recovery, but now, aged two, he has caught up on all his life milestones, Ashlynn confirmed.
He still has blood drawn every month or two to make sure his liver is happy, and he has to take an immune suppressant twice daily to keep his body from rejecting his new liver.
Through sharing Luka’s journey, the family hope to inspire others to find light in the darkest of times.
Ashlynn said: “I don’t really post too much on social media, but I wanted to share something vulnerable I had been through in hopes that other liver mothers and moms with similar challenges would find me and find hope that better days are ahead.
“The response has been overwhelmingly kind and gracious and it’s amazing to see people from around the world reach out and lift me and others up.
“I think my message to people would be: no matter how dark and hopeless you feel, you have to find the strength to keep pressing forward.
“Luka is proof of miracles, so, believe in them and expect them.”
