Meredith Roberts, a 17-year-old senior at North Tonawanda High School is in need of a liver transplant. A living donor, with O positive blood type is needed.
NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. — Meredith Roberts, 17, was enjoying homecoming a little over two weeks ago, now she is the ICU at the University of Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital.
Her symptoms began with dark urine on October 31, and her bilirubin levels significantly increased within a week. Initially suspected to be gallbladder-related, further tests confirmed a liver issue, possibly Wilson’s disease.
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Meredith’s mother Sara said “I honestly had never heard of it, as a nurse for 25 years. So they had to do a liver biopsy, which they did, and it hasn’t confirmed it yet, but it’s awfully suspicious. From what we’re told. It is like a protein mutation on one of her chromosomes that makes her liver store too much copper. And that looks like what it is. Not everyone with Wilson’s disease goes acutely ill like she did, but the only cure for it is a liver transplant.”
“There is a board in her room that lists her goals for the day. And the goal is to wait patiently for a shiny new liver,” her parents said.
Meredith has broken swim records for the Niagara Frontier League and was looking forward to sectionals.
“She was breaking all sorts of swim records for the Niagara Frontier League. She was looking forward to sectionals and going to her fourth straight year at states for the 100 breaststroke. She was ranked number one. She was hoping she would take it this year,” her mom said.
Meredith’s family is actively seeking a living donor, with her blood type being O positive. The community has rallied around her, with many offering to be tested as potential donors.
The ICU, Hepatology, and Transplant Teams have placed her in the 1A LIVER TRANSPLANT LIST (meaning she is at the very top) to receive a liver.
Her mom told WGRZ-TV’s Claudine Ewing that Meredith’s spirits remain high, and her family is grateful for the support.
To sign up for testing to become a living donor, CLICK THIS LINK for UPMC Transplant Services to help Meredith.
The family is also encouraging people to donate blood and plasma.
“She’s sleepy a lot right now while her body is trying to fight this, but she does know what’s going on. It’s sad and we’re just planning a huge trip somewhere when she’s done with this just to celebrate that she made it through, we all made it through and. Just trying to give her something huge to look forward to in addition to a working liver,” said her mom.
UPMC has an online free program to send cards to Meredith. You create it and send it online where Child Life services prints them (in color) and delivers them to her. If you’d like to send one, click here.
