Lisa Ryan says her son Jonathan was just 3-weeks-old when a small cut, that wouldn't stop bleeding, sent them to the hospital.
After some tests, doctors had shocking news: Jonathan's liver was failing because it wasn't connected properly to his other organs.
"They said worst case scenario is a liver transplant. My heart sank, you thought, there's no way my child can have a liver transplant. Nothing was able to get out of his liver to the small intestine and filter out of his body. So he was a very jaundiced baby," said Lisa.
At Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Ryans learned they could opt for a living donor.
Jonathan's father Kevin was an excellent match.
In mid-March, both headed to surgery, for a transplant, that doctors say, was meant to be.
"The minute they connected the arteries for the blood to flow, the liver started functioning right away, immediately," said Lisa.
Kevin says he suffered relatively little pain after the transplant.
Both parents are just thankful that Jonathan was able to celebrate his first birthday happy, healthy, and growing.
