Pittsburgh-area boy with rare liver disease needs 2nd transplant
ETNA, Pa. (KDKA) — Getting a liver donation is not an easy task for anyone.
Back in 2015, 2-year-old Lucas Goeller was at the top of the national transplant list after being diagnosed with a rare liver disease and he was running out of time. But then at the 11th hour after a massive social media push, Goeller got a new liver.
His mother, Jessica, says it was a miracle.
"He was so far behind on his milestones. He couldn't walk, he couldn't talk and certainly couldn't run. The only way he could view life was essentially through a window. But after the transplant, he was an entirely different person. He was talking, he was running. We took him home a new person. It was amazing. It was really a miracle."
Lucas and the Goeller family got a positive prognosis, and he began living a relatively normal life. But then, terrible news came again to the family just recently: Lucas's transplanted liver is failing, and he is now in need of another.
"The images and the blood work show a very sick child," Jessica said. "But looking at him, he is thankfully out participating in life. So, we want to keep him participating in life. And we don't want to get to the point where we were last time where we were just waiting and hoping, and time is ticking down. We want to avoid that."
Jessica and Lucas both met members of the media on Wednesday at the Etna Eat'n Park to make a plea to the public for another miracle. She says that the quickest way to help her son is to share their story on social media and to sign up to be an organ donor or a living donor right now.
Jessica says that by signing up to be a donor, you will not only be helping Lucas, but you will be helping the other 100,000 people currently on the donor list.
"At the end of the day, we just want to be a light," Jessica said. "The world is suffering in so many ways right now and we want to be a light that spreads across the United States and the world. And we want to be that hope however we can do it."
For more information about donating to Lucas, click here.