In January 2024, Hayley received a liver transplant at the University of Washington, thanks to a generous donor. But it wasn’t Hayley’s first time in this particular position.
As a child, Hayley struggled with liver disease, and ultimately, liver failure. She went on the transplant waiting list, but the wait was long, and her parents, Julie and Jim, worried. In 2007, when Hayley was 13, Julie gave her daughter life a second time by becoming a living liver donor.
Hayley’s first transplant gave her years of amazing experiences she wouldn’t have had otherwise. Hayley, her parents, and her sibling, Emma, became active and passionate ambassadors for Donate Life Northwest. They could often be found working in the DLNW office or at the annual DLNW golf tournament. Julie served two terms as a board member while Hayley completed high school and then college at the University of Oregon. Then, Hayley chased her dream, going to the University of Florida to study marine biology as a graduate student. In the 2020s, Hayley returned to Oregon and stepped into a coordinator role at the tissue procurement organization, Community Tissue Services, which is now known as Solvita.
After Hayley’s transplant, she always had lingering “health issues.” In 2022, doctors warned that she would soon need a second liver transplant. In Spring 2023, during a trip to the emergency room, doctors found a clot in her liver. It was time to go back on the waiting list.
As with most patients facing liver failure, the situation grew steadily and rapidly more dire. Hayley grew sicker and was hospitalized at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), then was life-flighted to the University of Washington. Blessed with an incredibly supportive family, including her boyfriend, Matt, who was by her side advocating for her every step of the way, Hayley focused on staying hopeful and as strong as possible. On January 19, 2024, a generous deceased donor from Idaho gave Hayley another chance at life and health.
Since her second transplant, Hayley has slowly recovered and returned to her life. She is back at work for Solvita, parenting her two cats, and eating at all of the fun Portland restaurants she couldn’t eat at while she was sick. You can often find her at community events representing Solvita or Donate Life Northwest and sharing her story. Matt is still by her side.
For those who are thinking about whether they should register as a donor or considering living donation, Hayley says:
“Needing a transplant is never something you plan for and never something you expect. Signing up to be a donor means that not only can you save many lives, but you can prevent people from living a life of pain and suffering while they wait for a transplant. Of course, the transplant saves and heals – but, for me, the time I spent waiting was de-humanizing, and it sucked away my hope and will each day. Being a donor means so much to not only the recipient, but to those around them who care for them, who feel hopeless and can do nothing but wait. You can give someone back their family or friend.”
