Transplant recipients share their journey during Donate Life Week

A TRANSPLANT when Erika Vidaic was just a few months old saved her life. She now wears her scar as a badge of honour and is thankful for her donor. She shared her story at the launch of DonateLife Week.

Erika Vidaic shared her liver transplant journey at the launch of Donate Life Week at Liverpool Hospital this week. Picture: Angelo Velardo

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JUST a few months after Erika Vidaic was born, her parents learned their little one wouldn’t make it to her first birthday if she didn’t have a transplant.

Routine blood tests, because she looked jaundice, revealed a rare liver disease — biliary atresia.

With the infant disease, bile get trapped, builds up and damages the liver. Without treatment the liver eventually fails. A transplant is needed to survive.

After a number of failed operations and procedures, Erika was placed on the transplant waiting list while mum Rosa got worked up to potentially donate her liver.

“She (Erika) was really sick and in ICU (intensive care) and I was begging them to take my liver.

Erika Vidaic just days after her liver transplant.

“I hated seeing her like that. The disease was compromising her breathing and she would just cry in pain.”

The wait was over. Within five weeks a suitable donor had been found.

“We only had a short wait compared to many others on the transplant list, but it was such a traumatic time,” she said.

A full recovery after the transplant took time, but just hours post surgery, Mrs Vidaic noticed a dramatic change in her 5½-month-old.

“She literally went from looking extremely unwell and lethargic to white eyed and healthy as soon as she woke from the transplant.”

The challenging times didn’t end there for the Picnic Point family. Countless medications were used to ensure the transplant was viable­ and the family took on a “no visitors” policy to ensure­ Erika didn’t contract some sort of bug or sickness.

Erika Vidaic is now five and mum Rosa describes her as happy, bubbly and full of life. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Now five, Erika shows her scar proudly.

She loves dance, theatre and singing and also plays tennis.

“She knows what happened. She knows a donor saved her life — we’re all so grateful,” Mrs Vidaic said.

“She’s so positive, happy, outgoing and full of life.

“It really is unbelievable.

“As she grows I just want to teach her to be proud of her story.”

Erika’s transplant story is one of many highlighted during DonateLife Week.

At the DonateLife Week launch at South Western Sydney Local Health District’s Liverpool Hospital, Fulvia Nisyrios had the audience in tears as she shared both her mum and dad’s transplant journey — one as a recipient and the other as a donor.

In the early 1990s her dad was the 96th person in Australia to receive a transplant.

Fulvia Nisyrios shared her transplant story which saw her dad receive a transplant and her mother provide life to others when she died. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Back then an organ transplanted would normally only last five to 10 years. His continues to be successful more than 27 years on.

Her father never spoke about his transplant but when his wife was involved in a pedestrian accident in Wollongong four years ago, when he was told by doctors there was nothing else they could do for her, the first thing he said was “I want to donate her organs”.

His daughter, Ms Nisyrios, said it was at that point she realised just how grateful he was of his transplant.

“It was heart-opening ... we all understood what he was trying to do,” she said.

“It was his way of giving back.”

Mum Rosa wants her daughter to be proud of her story. Picture: Angelo Velardo

HOW TO HELP

● The Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR) is where you sign up to become an organ or tissue donor

● One organ and tissue donor can transform the lives of 10 or more people

● While 65 per cent of NSW residents are willing to donate their organs and tissue, only 39 per cent have registered their donation decision on the AODR

● Only 46 per cent of people in NSW are aware of the AODR

● 72 per cent of Australians would accept a lifesaving transplant if they needed one

● Only 8 per cent of Aussies aged 18 to 24 are on the register

● In 2016, a record 1713 Australians received a transplant thanks to the generosity of 503 deceased and 267 living organ donors and their families

● The number of organ donors and transplant recipients last year was the highest since national records began

● 9000 Aussies benefited from tissue donation

● There are still 1400 Australians currently on transplant waiting lists, and a further 12,000 people on dialysis

● It’s now faster and easier than ever to register your donation decision on the AODR

● 40 per cent of the southwest Sydney community speaks Arabic. South Western Sydney Local Health District has created a video to explain organ and tissue donation

● Have your Medicare card number, name, postcode and date of birth handy when you visit donatelife.gov.au