Teresa Hendon - Living Liver Transplant Recipient

Fifteen years ago, Teresa Hendon’s liver was failing. She was told her only hope for life would be a liver transplant. Teresa was placed on the transplant list and began the potentially long wait for a donor liver. The transplant team at University Health System was thinking beyond. Because of the unique expertise of the transplant team, Teresa had another life-saving option: a living donor. If she could find a volunteer willing and able to donate half of their living organ to Teresa, they could perform a living donor liver transplant.

Teresa had devoted her life to helping others as a member of the sheriff’s department. When they learned of her situation, twenty people immediately volunteered for major surgery to save Teresa’s life.

But Teresa became ill and was too sick for the transplant. So the team at University Health System made it their mission to make Teresa healthy enough for surgery. It took a year. Her friend Mark was selected as the donor: the right age, the right blood type, her perfect match.

And today, because the transplant team at University Health System looked beyond standard treatments, Teresa has an exceptional second chance at life.