Papillion woman expresses gratitude for lifesaving liver transplant
We just wrapped up Donate Life Month, a time to bring awareness to the generosity of organ donors, but the message goes beyond the month of April.
"My life was pretty close to being done," said Wendy Nalty.
Fourteen months ago, life looked grim for Nalty.
"I began to get sick over the course of a year and a half. I could not figure out what was wrong. It just kept. I kept declining and declining," Nalty said.
Her mental health also took a hit, so she self-soothed to ease the pain.
"I began drinking more because little did I know the alcohol that I consumed was stronger and worsening because of my situation," she said.
Test after test, study after study, her family even gathered to say their final goodbyes.
"The amount of liver disease is also growing quite a bit across the country," said Dr. Faruq Pradhan, a transplant hepatologist with Nebraska Medicine.
Until doctors at Nebraska Medicine finally got the answers, revealing her liver had been failing for months before she started drinking more.
Wendy's condition worsened by the minute, and she needed a transplant.
"I had a donor within 30 hours," she said.
It saved her life and restored her health.
"That second chance is amazing. It's amazing. God's not done with me yet," Nalty said.
It's stories like Wendy's that Pradhan said reignite the importance of organ donors.
Nebraska Medicine alone performs more than 100 transplants a year.
"The number of liver transplants is growing quite rapidly. Probably about a 9 to 10% growth per year. And I think last year was a record-breaking year," he said.
Pradhan said he works closely with patients on the waitlist, so it's more than just checking a box when getting a driver's license; it's a commitment that can keep people alive.
"Our waitlist and our transplant volume continues to grow," he said.
A debt of gratitude, Wendy said she'll never be able to repay.
"Someday I hope to meet them, hug them, thank them, let them know that I want to make them proud for their loved one," Nalty said.