In honor of Men’s Health Month, we would like to share the story of a grateful transplant recipient who received a second chance at life because a heroic donor said ‘YES’ to leaving a legacy of hope behind. Meet Chris, a grateful liver transplant recipient.
He shared, “My name is Chris Lance, and I am a grateful liver transplant recipient. My journey started in May of 2022, when I was taken to the Summerlin Hospital Medical Center’s emergency room with a chronic cough and mild fever. In January of 2023, I was readmitted with the same symptoms. During that visit, the medical team spoke with me about my damaged liver, and I was referred to a hepatologist. When I returned home, I learned this doctor only came to Las Vegas once a month, but was fortunately able to schedule an appointment with the nurse practitioner the following week (early February). She had already reviewed my results with the hepatologist and told me I was in the early stages of cirrhosis. She also explained that a referral to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center was already in progress. She shared the life shattering news that I would likely need a liver transplant. In March of 2023, I went to UCLA Medical Center for the evaluation. That is where I learned about the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. This is a scale from six (less ill) to 40 (gravely ill). At the time, I was an 18. I also learned that I would need two caregivers and would have to stay near UCLA Medical Center for up to 45 days. We met with a pre-transplant coordinator, nutritionist, social worker and surgical staff who were all involved with evaluating if I was a viable candidate to receive the ultimate gift. On 6/5/23, I was officially listed with the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) for a liver transplant at UCLA Medical Center with a MELD score of 23. My health rapidly declined, and I was admitted to the hospital nine times (four of those visits required time in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)). My body was slowly shutting down. I began to develop jaundice which meant my eyes and skin turned completely yellow. By early August of 2023, my health was quickly declining. I felt that I was going to pass away soon. My brother, determined to help, but also completely overwhelmed, began looking into listing me at multiple liver transplant centers. He called five programs accepted by my insurance company. Within a few hours, Intermountain Health responded. From that moment on, things moved at a much faster pace. They had already obtained my records and scheduled an appointment in Las Vegas with Dr. Richard Gilroy for 8/18/23. With a new sense of progress, we departed for Utah for additional testing the following week. On 8/31/23, my brother called to tell me I had been listed with UNOS at Intermountain Health with a MELD score of 28. Not long after, he called again… This time telling me to pack a bag! They had a liver for me, and we needed to get to the hospital in Murray, Utah by 6:00 PM. I do not recall if I was in disbelief or shock, but I pulled myself together and packed what I thought I would need for my hospital stay and recovery afterwards. We jumped into my brother’s car and started our trip. We felt hopeful and uncertain. When we arrived, I was prepped for surgery, but ultimately the liver was not viable for transplant. We decided to stay through Labor Day weekend which turned out to be a blessing because on 9/5/23, I got another call… This time it was my perfect match! I returned to the hospital and was prepped again. Around 3:00 AM on 9/6/23, I was taken into surgery. I woke up around noon in the ICU, and within an hour, a physical therapist had me get out of bed and take my first steps. The next morning, I was visited by the five surgeons who performed my transplant. They were happy with my progress and determined that I could move out of the ICU. After a few more days of recovery, I was discharged with a bag of medication and instructions. For the next month, I returned to the transplant clinic twice a week, and on 10/3/23, I was cleared to return home. It took me nearly six months before I could write to my heroic donor’s family. Every time I tried, the words did not feel enough to express my sympathy for their loss and my gratitude for the second chance I received. Eventually, I sent the letter, and a few months later I heard back. My heroic donor is named Elizabeth (Lisa is what everyone called her). She was three years younger than me and lived in New Mexico. She was married and had two boys along with four grandchildren. She spent time organizing local blood drives, loved the outdoors and enjoyed cruising in the family’s Chevy Apache. I have not yet had the privilege of meeting her family, but I hope to one day. I speak to Lisa daily, and I believe she is part of my newfound purpose. I use my second chance to share more about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation along with honoring the legacy of hope Lisa left behind."
We are also celebrating that it is the night before the Transplant Life Foundation’s 2026 Transplant Games of America... Get ready to cheer on Chris, and Team Nevada! Follow their journey on our Facebook page.