Facebook has certainly helped change the social landscape – in some ways for the worse. But despite the damage it’s done, it has also helped bring people together.
In this case, it even helped save a young life.
Online mom’s groups have existed for decades – once chat rooms, they’re now often housed on Facebook. There, women can ask for advice or simply get sympathy from others in the same situation. These groups sometimes get a bad rap (in some cases, like the anti-vaxxers, deservedly so) but they can also help women through the toughest times in their lives – times when they would normally feel scared or alone.
The funny thing about online support groups is that you can end up feeling close to someone you’ve never actually met face-to-face – and they can end up doing you a favor you could never dream of.
This year, Robin Bliven learned just how much she could rely on her mom’s group when a member stepped up to help another member in a big way.
Bliven relayed the story of a woman named Andrea Alberto who donated a piece of her liver so that the 11-month old baby of a relative stranger could live.
Callum (Cal for short) is the baby son of Beth Rescsanski. When Rescanski told her group that her son needed a piece of a liver from a living donor, over 100 other moms had themselves tested to see if they were a match so they could help save his life.
Alberto, 32, was the only match.
Most liver donations come from deceased donors, but a live liver can regenerate in a matter of weeks and this is what Cal needed in order to survive his illness.
The good deed seemed like a no-brainer to Alberto, but it was no small gesture.
Bliven explained in her post:
“She is a single mom who has left her two kids at home and travelled from Boston to New Haven to give away a piece of her body so this baby can live.”
Not only that, but she would subject herself to invasive surgery, which always carries risks.
Liver donations almost always come from relatives – it’s rare that a non-relative is a match. Alberto was only the 97th unrelated living liver donor is history, according to Bliven!
In a Facebook post on her own page prior to the surgery, Alberto said:
“In one week, I will be about 5 hours into a 10 hour surgery to donate part of my liver to this little cutie. The decision to donate was an easy one for me, but I am constantly reminded of (and surprised by) how rare this is.”
She also encouraged people to become living donors since there are so many in need.
To everyone’s great relief, the surgery went well for both Andrea and Cal.
After it was over, the generous donor posted an update that read in part:
“We’re coming out on the other side of living organ donation and what an adventure it has been!
They tell you in donor evaluation that you, the donor, don’t “get” anything out of donation. Looking back at these two weeks, I disagree. The outpouring of love and support, the way family, friends, strangers, have come together to make this remarkable event possible has allowed me to experience some of the best stuff the world has to offer.”
And she reflected on all the things her donation would mean to Cal:
“And most importantly – there’s my sweet little guy Cal. My liver couldn’t have asked for a better home. It’s going to go to Kindergarten and learn to drive a car. It will get to eat lots of birthday cake and play sports and go to the prom. How lucky is that liver? And honestly, it has never looked cuter. I can’t wait to see the places Cal takes it.”
But Alberto doesn’t want to be called a hero. She says we’re all in this life together.
Yet, the single mom was in the hospital for 14 days – her two sons, ages 8 and 4 were there for part of that time. They love telling their friends that their mom saved a baby’s life.
Cal was released after 25 days in the hospital.
Instead of concentrating on her deed, Alberto wants something more important to come out of it.
“If you are open to the idea of donation, get more information,” she said. “You don’t need to wait until it’s a family or friend who needs an organ — odds are, they never will. But someone else’s loved one already does need your organ. Find out if you’re a match. You can save someone’s life.”
Bliven wants people to remember that it was an online mom’s group that led to this happy ending:
“You can talk smack about mom groups on Facebook all you want…but don’t talk smack about mine, because we crowdsourced a freaking organ.”
That’s some serious mom power.
Be sure to scroll down to see Bliven’s original post.
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