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Tonya Papanikolas reporting Here in Utah a baby is alive thanks to a donor liver. And he is the youngest Utahn to ever receive a liver transplant. He had the operation at only seven weeks old!
When Tami Alvord takes her now-three-month-old son to the doctor's, she carries him with a blanket over his head. That's because little Conner is *very* susceptible to infections since he received a liver transplant in February.
Ben Alvord/ Father: "The whole time, we were just really numb. It's so overwhelming."
When Conner was born, he wouldn't eat. Doctors soon realized he had a liver problem. So the Alvords brought him to specialists at Primary Children's Hospital.
Dr. Linda Book/ Primary Children's Medical Center: "One of our biggest challenges for him was identifying an acceptable liver donor that would work in his body."
It took almost a month to find that donor.
Tami Alvord/ Mother: "We were just waiting. That's the hard part. Just wait. Just sit there and hoping they would find a liver right away, because he was really sick."
Dr. Book says Conner was within a day or two of dying when the liver became available in California. It came from a young child, so doctors had to cut a section down to Conner's size. But the nine-hour surgery was a success.
Tami Alvord: "He's going to be able to go to school and play with other kids and ride a bike."
After a month in the hospital, baby Conner still has a doctor's appointment every week to see how he's doing and check for potential problems. He's also on at least 10 medications and a small amount of oxygen. But his parents are enjoying every moment with their son.
Ben Alvord: "He's starting to try and talk a little bit, and we see him smiling sometimes."
Tami Alvord: "It's a real miracle that he's here. He's still here with us. We're going to be grateful for this our whole lives."
The Alvords say the kindness of the doctors and donor family is something they will never forget.
Conner will be on some medications his whole life to keep his body from rejecting his new liver.
The Alvords say they hope to meet the donor family someday.
An account has been set up in Conner Alvord's name. Those wishing to contribute may do so at any Wells Fargo branch.
