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Patient Profiles

Rose Anne and Theresa Mallon

Mother's Day will be especially meaningful this year for Rose Anne Mallon, 41, of New York City and her 66-year old mother Theresa. “Just a few months ago, I didn’t know if Mom would live long enough to celebrate the holiday,” says Rose Anne.

When 2004 began, Theresa lay on her deathbed, suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma -- cancer of the liver. "Her skin had an orange tint, the whites of her eyes were yellow, and she didn't even have enough energy to sit up. It was terrible,” recalls Rose Anne. Doctors told Theresa's family the only thing that would save her was a liver transplant.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) -- the nonprofit organization that manages the nation's transplant system under contract with the federal government -- nearly 17,000 people are currently on a national waiting list for a donated liver, yet fewer than 6,000 livers become available every year. Knowing the odds were stacked against her mother, Rose Anne, who is a pediatric hematology nurse at New York Presbyterian Hospital, decided to do the only thing she could to save her mother’s life -- become a living donor.

Since time was of the essence, doctors immediately scheduled a battery of tests. "They took blood and did a full cardiac workup, which included a stress test, echocardiogram and EKG. I also had to meet with a hepatologist and a social worker," recalls Rose Anne. "They made sure I knew the risks involved in the surgery and wanted to make sure I wasn’t being pressured into going through with it. I told them I love my mother and this is something I want to do for her."

Shortly after the test results came back showing they were a perfect match, Rose Anne and Theresa were scheduled for surgery. "I wasn’t scared about the procedure at all," she says. “The worst part about it was waiting for the results of the exploratory surgery on my Mom to come back. If the cancer had spread beyond her liver, doctors weren't going to proceed with the surgery." Doctors found two nodules within the veins that supply the liver, but tests came back negative for cancer, so the surgery proceeded.

The procedure took about 12 hours, and afterwards, both patients experienced some post-operative discomfort, such as headaches and nausea, which are typical after surgery. Rose Anne says it was no picnic, but she’d do it again without hesitation. "People tell me all the time I made a great sacrifice. I don't see it that way at all. I love my Mom and now because of the decision I made, she's going to live," says Rose Anne.

Four months later, Theresa is back to doing the things she loves best: taking walks; doing housework; and spending time with friends and family. Rose Anne took two months off to recover from the surgery and is back working at the hospital fulltime.

She credits her living donor coordinator with making the process easier. "She went above and beyond the call of duty to educate me and my family about the donor process, and to comfort and reassure us. During the surgery, she sat with my father outside the operating room, and afterwards, went back and forth daily between my room and my Mom’s room to check on things," says Rose Anne. "In my eyes, she was a key figure in the outcome."

While the majority of living organ donations involve people who are related, UNOS data shows an increasing interest in "non-directed" or living unrelated donation from strangers. Nearly 200 such donations have been reported in the United States since 1999.

"The generous and selfless nature of living donors continues to amaze me," says UNOS Executive Director Walter Graham. "After nearly 20 years in transplantation, I'm still deeply touched by inspirational stories like Rose Anne's."

"I hope sharing my story helps other people realize you don't have to die to become an organ donor and save someone else’s life," says Rose Anne.

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