Having children is one of the most incredible experiences a human can have. But some parents tragically have their happiness crushed much too fast.
22-year-old American student Kiersten Miles got in touch with the Rosko family through a close friend. When she started babysitting for the family, she was already aware that their youngest daughter Talia was very ill.
Talia suffered from a rare liver disease, biliary atresia, which allows the bile ducts become clogged.
The Roskos put Talia up on a transplant waiting list for a new liver just before Kiersten began to work for them.
On her own, Kiersten soon found herself doing research on the implications of donating livers. She already knew her blood type because she’d previously donated blood.
In Talia’s case, an entire liver was not required, but rather just a small part would save her life.
Eventually, Kiersten decided to undergo tests to see if she was a match for Talia. She asked the family for the paperwork required in order to begin the process.
She’d decided that if she was a match, she wanted to donate part of her liver to Talia.
The family was naturally eternally grateful for Kiersten’s offer, but sat back throughout the whole process so as not for her to feel pressured in the least to make a decision she could later regret.
When the results came back, everyone discovered that Kiersten was in fact a perfect match. For Kiersten, this was a giant relief. She was not nervous about the donation – she’d only been worried that she may not be a match for Talia.
“Talia was only 9-months-old so on her end she couldn’t tell anyone that she was sick. And yet she was just one of the happiest babies. It didn’t seem like a big sacrifice to save a life,” Kiersten explains.
The time came at last and on January 11, 2017 Kiersten underwent a successful surgery.
Kiersten remained in hospital for five days and Talia remained for nine. Talia recovered quickly, and today she’s like brand new. Kiersten’s recovery however has been a little slower.
Kiersten is now off all her medication and Talia is off all her meds except the anti-rejection medication designed to prevent her body from rejecting the new liver.
Talia is full of energy and running around as if she didn’t just undergo surgery and is doing better than ever before.
Meanwhile, Kiersten has received much well-deserved praise from family and close friends. Even classmates and old friends she’d lost touch with have taken the time to wish her a speedy recovery.
Watch this interview with Kiersten following the successful liver transplant.
That a nanny you hire be the person to save your child’s life is not usually part of the job description!
What a priceless gift Kiersten gave Talia and her family. Please share this heartwarming story and spread a little warmth and love.
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