Liver Transplant Recipient Donates Fundraising Trophy to Loyola Medicine

Liver transplant recipient Anne Chapski Doyen recently showed her appreciation to Loyola Medicine by presenting her care team with a trophy from the 2021 Liver Life Walk. Of the 274 teams who participated in the walk, Anne received the award for Top Fundraising Medical Team, raising over $23,000 for the American Liver Foundation (ALF).

When Anne was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease in 2017, the future was uncertain. She became very sick very quickly, and was soon unable to walk around her house and perform even the simplest everyday tasks. According to Steven Scaglione, MD, a Loyola Medicine liver specialist, "Without a liver transplantation, Anne might have had just months to live."

After months of appointments and hospitalizations at Loyola University Medical Center, Anne was placed on the liver transplant waiting list in 2018. But as someone with the most common blood type, O positive, she would likely face a long wait for a deceased donor.

Armed with this knowledge, Anne's daughter, Katie, volunteered to be evaluated as a potential match in hopes of decreasing the wait time for Anne's lifesaving transplant. "As soon as I learned it was a possibility, I knew I wanted to go down that route," said Katie.

In June of 2018, Katie learned she was a match and made the decision to donate 60% of her liver to her mother. On the day of her surgery, Anne weighed under 90 pounds. "After the surgery," Katie said, "She immediately looked healthier. It sounds unbelievable, but there was a noticeable difference almost instantly."

"As afraid as I was going into the surgery, the doctors and nurses really put me at ease," said Anne. Since her transplant, Anne has been able to return to her old activity levels, going up and down the stairs and taking walks without issue. "It was like being reborn," she said.

Katie also made a full recovery. "When I think about what a sacrifice it was, I feel so lucky," said Anne. "Katie has given me the ultimate gift of life. I'll never be able to repay her. She never wavered throughout the process."

Anne began participating in fundraising opportunities, such as the Liver Life Walk with the ALF, under the team name "Annie's Angels." This year, she decided to partner with Loyola Medicine as a thank-you to the care team that gave her so much.

Two weeks before the walk, Anne's son Christopher passed away unexpectedly. Anne and her family questioned if they should go through with the walk, but with the outpouring of support after his passing, they decided to go through with it. "He was so concerned for me before and during my transplant, but he never worried me," said Anne. "I believe he was the reason we were able to get that final push into first place. So many wanted to support in his living memory."

After the walk, Anne decided to give the trophy to the team members who carried her through her transplant and beyond. Anne and her family plan to continue to work with the ALF alongside Loyola Medicine to raise money for other liver transplant patients, medical research, public education and patient support services. "I am so appreciative of my Loyola Medicine transplant team and all they've done for me over the past several years," said Anne.