Boy needs liver transplant

Time is running out for seven-year-old Louie Adrielle Perez, who was born with biliary atresia, a congenital liver disorder that now threatens his life.

Most children in his condition do not reach Louie’s age, but he showed his strong will to live early on.

"Many people could not believe he would survive this long without an operation. But his doctors are already rushing us. My son needs to undergo liver transplant soon or we might not see him again," his mother, Mary Jean, said.

His family needs to come up with P5 million for Louie to be operated on by Dr. Vanessa de Villa at the Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. The amount is too much for the poor family, considering that Louie’s treatment costs P4,000 per week.

Biliary atresia is a congenital condition characterized by the obstruction of the bile ducts that failed to develop normally in the womb.

With this condition, the bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder is blocked. This could damage the liver and lead to liver cirrhosis, which could be fatal if not treated.

The biliary system is supposed to remove the waste products from the liver and carry the bile salts needed to digest fats to the small intestine.

Mary Jean said Louie’s growth has been severely affected by his condition. He is small for his age, with a height of only 160 centimeters and a weight of 16 kilos.

Now, it seems that Louie’s frail body is slowly succumbing to his illness.

"He’s been now in and out of the hospital. He always develops contusions and his liver is not functioning very well. According to his doctor, he must undergo the transplant this year," Mary Jean said.

Louie is a member of the LIFT-Babies Foundation, which helps families of children with biliary atresia to raise funds for their operations.

He had been lined up early on for operation but he gave up his slot to another patient, two-year-old Mark Mendoza, when the latter’s condition became critical. Mark was operated on last March.

The Perez family has raised P1 million but need much more to save Louie’s life. They are appealing to anyone for help.

Louie’s family can be contacted at Block H-3 Lot 2 San Lorenzo Luiz 2, Dasmariñas, Cavite or through mobile phone number 0916-6110859. Donations can be deposited at China Bank account number 2651159010 under the name Mary Jean Perez.

Prospective donors may also contact Milette Dioso, coordinator of The STAR’s Operation Damayan, at 527-7901 to 10, local 129.