Urgent Call to Action: Help Baby Florence Find a Living Liver Donor
A desperate call to action from the Mojica family: save their daughter, Florence, 4-month-old from Staten Island, who needs an urgent liver transplant. Her condition is worsening rapidly, and the community is being urged to help find a living donor.
Florence’s Story
Florence was born healthy alongside her twin brother at Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey on June 2024. However, her life has been marred by a rare and life-threatening liver disease known as biliary atresia. Her onset of colic, initially thought to be minor, has escalated to a severe condition, requiring immediate medical attention.
Living with Biliary Atresia
Biliary atresia is a condition where bile ducts in the liver are block and scarring ensues, preventing bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder and digestive system. Fluorence has undergone extensive medical procedures, including a Kasai procedure, an initial treatment for biliary atresia. Despite the Kasai being successful to an extent, Florence’s condition has deteriorated rapidly.
The Urgency of the Situation
Florence’s health is declining by the day. Her mother, Lina Mojica, shared her despair, “She is declining rapidly. She hasn’t slept well in four days. She’s so uncomfortable. We may have to stay in the hospital until transplant.” Cirrhosis has developed in Florence’s liver due to the accumulation of bile, placing her in an urgent need for a liver transplant.
The_search for a Living Liver Donor
Florence’s parents are urgently appealing to the community to find a living liver donor, especially one who can meet the medical criteria and potentially save Florence’s life. The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) is also assisting with the campaign, aiding through fundraising and family support.
Ideal Donor Characteristics:
- Good General Health
- No Diabetes or Fatty Liver Disease
- Age 18-59
- Blood type O+ is a plus
- At least Six Months Postpartum
Donors can be from anywhere in the U.S, and relevant medical expenses will be covered by insurance. The National Living Donor Assistance Center and some states may offer additional financial support.
Calls for Help Spread Widespread
Lina Mojica’s call for help has expanded beyond immediate friends and family, urging everyone within the community to come forward and support the campaign. The urgency of the situation has led COTA to assist them, ensuring that Florence’s story reaches as many potential donors as possible.
How You Can Help
If you are interested in becoming a living liver donor, visit www.nyp.org/livingdonorliver and inquire by phone at 212-305-9381. Help Florence receive the lifesaving transplant she desperately needs.
Share Florence’s story widely, and let’s come together to save this precious little life.