Waurn Ponds’ Jessica Chappell prepared for her death before receiving life-saving organ transplant

A Waurn Ponds mother had written notes for her daughter to read on life milestones in preparation for her own death. But one person’s generous act meant they haven’t had to be used.

Jessica Chappell, 43, was preparing for her death before receiving a life-saving liver transplant, thanks to an organ donor and their family. Picture: Alison Wynd

Jessica Chappell was preparing for her death, until the ultimate gift from a generous stranger saved her.

Ms Chappell, 43, had given birth to her daughter Meadow in 2010, and afterwards started feeling increasingly unwell.

The Waurn Ponds resident said she put symptoms like fatigue and weight loss down to having a newborn baby.

But on the day of Meadow’s christening, Ms Chappell’s aunt Linda, a retired nurse, said something was “terribly wrong” and to go to the emergency room.

Later that day, Ms Chappell was diagnosed with auto-immune hepatitis.

Ms Chappell said she had looked out at the Geelong waterfront from her hospital room. Picture: Alison Wynd

The incurable condition which makes the immune system attack the liver had been dormant but was triggered by hormonal changes after Meadow’s birth.

“Essentially, my body had set my liver on fire, and was turning it into concrete,” Ms Chappell said.

Ms Chappell said over the next decade she was in and out of hospital constantly, estimating her days spent in a hospital bed at more than 1000.

Jessica Chappell was preparing notes for her daughter, believing she would not live to see milestones including her wedding and the birth of her children. Picture: Supplied

In 2021, Ms Chappell was put on the organ transplant waitlist as “the only way I was going to survive”.

Towards the end of that year, her health deteriorated more.

She lost the ability to eat, speak, and walk, and her mother made daily trips from Melbourne to help feed and bathe her.

Ms Chappell said she and her husband started planning for the fact she was going to die at the age of 41.

“I started writing letters and recording messages, just in case I didn’t survive,” she said.

“I thought, I’m going to miss out the first time (Meadow) falls in love … the first time she has her heart broken, I’m not going to be there on her wedding day, and the birth of her children.”

But, after more than 400 days on the waitlist, Ms Chappell got the call – they had a liver for her.

Jessica Chappell ahead of her life-saving liver transplant surgery, which she woke up from after three days. Picture: Supplied

She described the moment as “sheer relief”.

“I dropped the phone, and started screaming,” she said.

“I thought, ‘oh my gosh, I might actually make it’.”

In early 2022, Ms Chappell had life-saving liver transplant surgery.

She said while it was amazing to receive the gift, it was bittersweet.

“You realise really quickly that in order for you to live, someone has died,” she said.

“Whilst my family was … praying I would survive surgery, somewhere else in Victoria, there was another family absolutely devastated.

“People see it as one life saved, but it’s so much more than that.

“My daughter got to keep her mother, my husband got to keep his wife, and my parents didn’t bury their child.”

Ms Chappell said there were hundreds of Australians, and whole communities around them, holding onto hope of receiving a life-saving gift like hers.

She said everyone should consider becoming an organ donor, and make their wishes known to loved ones.

Sunday is DonateLife Thank You Day, a national day to thank and acknowledge organ and tissue donors.

To find out more or to become an organ donor, visit www.donatelife.gov.au/

Originally published as Waurn Ponds’ Jessica Chappell prepared for her death before receiving life-saving organ transplant