Mother, daughter raise awareness for organ donation at Transplant Games

MAPLETON — When Eden Lai was a baby, she was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare pediatric liver disease in which the bile ducts become blocked or fail to form.

She needed a liver transplant to survive.

"It was like, no question. If I can donate to help her, I was going to do it," her mom, Erica Lai, said.

Erica Lai became her living donor, giving a portion of her liver to her then-18-month-old daughter.

"She was in and out of the hospital for the first two years of her life. But since then, she's been doing really well," Erica Lai said.

Doctors say living donation can significantly improve outcomes for children.

"The sooner we can restore that, their ability to develop is so much better," said Dr. Jean Botha, of Intermountain Health's Transplant Program. "Here's a child who has developed, gone through the adolescent years, now is a young adult and is practically normal, and can do anything that any other young adult their age can do."

Now 18, Eden Lai said she has lived a full, active life since her transplant.

"It hasn't affected me. I've done everything I've wanted," she said.

Eden Lai recently graduated from high school, where she was a competitive swimmer. Over the next few days, she'll be competing at the Transplant Games of America in Denver, alongside her mother.

The Transplant Games of America is a multisport event held every two years that celebrates life and raises awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation. It brings together thousands of transplant recipients, living donors and donor families for more than 20 sports and recreational events, plus tributes to deceased donors and their families.

Eden and Erica Lai are two of about a dozen Utahns expected to participate this year. They will compete in swimming in their respective divisions and in bowling together. This marks the fourth time Eden and Erica Lai have competed at the games.

"Some people don't ever meet their donors, and so it's just cool to be able to know that I know who my donor is," Eden Lai said.

They hope their story encourages others to consider organ donation.

"If you can give somebody else a second chance at life, why not?" Erica Lai said.

The 2026 Transplant Games of America are currently taking place in Denver, Colorado, running from Thursday, June 18, through June 23.

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