New York man receives living donor liver transplant from son

According to the American Cancer Society, there were more than 100,000 new cases of colon cancer this year. If it spreads, it is considered metastatic colon cancer. That's what happened to one father whose diagnosis took an unusual turn.

Jason Coline is the kind of guy who can brighten up any room. A few years ago, his light faded and he never imagined that someone close to him would reignite it.

In January 2022, Corinne knew something was wrong when her doctor gave her a dire diagnosis due to abdominal pain after an ultrasound.

“You have stage 4 cancer. You also have cancer in your liver,” Jason said his doctor told him.

This forced Jason into a grueling journey of chemotherapy. By October, doctors had removed the primary tumor, but a liver transplant remained vital.

“I posted on Facebook looking for a donor,” Jason said.

Countless friends offered to help, but Jason's son Justin decided to help his father by becoming a living donor.

“He came to me when he was about eight or nine months old and was like, 'Dad, I know you don't want me to do that,'” Jason said.

“I think a lot of people have imagined heroic moments in their lives, and I felt like that was the moment where I could really step up and make a real impact,” said Justin Collin. spoke.

“To intentionally put him on the table and have him undergo such a serious surgery…it's against parenting,” Jason said.

After extensive testing and consultation, they proceeded with the transplant at the University of Rochester Medical Center, considered a leader in living donor transplants.

“We are now able to help some of these patients with liver transplants, and their survival rates can reach 80% in five years or more,” said URMC's living donor liver transplant specialist. said Director Dr. Roberto Hernandez-Alejandro. .

In December 2023, Jason performed a careful but successful surgery and removed 60% of Justin's liver.

“We did the surgery and replaced this part of my son's liver, and both were great,” Alejandro said.

“A few weeks later, by the time I was almost discharged from the hospital, it wasn't so bad. And now I feel like I didn't even know the difference,” Jason said.

Today, Jason is cancer-free, thriving, and full of gratitude.

“I keep telling people this is the second time he saved my life, because I'm a parent of a teenager and he was my driving force,” Jason said. said.

Alejandro noted that only about 27 facilities in the United States perform liver transplants for colon cancer patients, and URMC's liver transplant program is in high demand by patients across the country.