Huge Sacrifice
A young woman was working as a nanny to a toddler when she made a courageous decision. Even though she had only known the baby for a few weeks, she made a huge sacrifice for her.
An act that finally saved the life of the newborn girl.
Summer Nanny
Kiersten Miles, a college student, joined the Rosko family at the perfect time. A friend had recommended her to the family as a summer nanny for 16-month-old Talia.
The parents of a young toddler from New Jersey will be eternally grateful to their nanny, who did not hesitate to do something absolutely exceptional.
Biopsy
Talia's parents would take her for routine check-ups just as any other newborn baby had to. During one such routine check-up, the doctor noticed that something was wrong with Talia's eyes.
On a weird hunch, the doctor prescribed the family to do a biopsy. The test results came and it shocked the entire family.
Rare Terminal Disease
The test results showed that her liver was completely damaged. She was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a very rare fatal disease. The disease develops when the bile ducts in the liver get clogged, killing cells and the liver itself. Talia's liver had been totally destroyed, according to the scan.
Doctors told George and Farra that their daughter will undergo a Kasai, a treatment in which the clogged ducts and gallbladder are surgically removed and replaced with a section of the small intestine. However, it was only a temporary fix, and Talia eventually required a transplant.
Waiting List
Talia's parents, George and Farra, were warned by doctors in Jackson, New Jersey, that she wouldn't live past the age of two unless she received a transplant.
Talia was put on the organ transplant waiting list, which wasn't giving the parents much hope. Days and months passed by without any good news. Then came Kiersten.
Hiring Nanny
Seven months later, in the midst of their frantic search for a donor, the family hired a local college student, Kiersten Miles, then 21 years old, as a nanny.
Talia needed extra care due to her medical condition. But despite her illness, she was a wonderful kid. Kiersten formed a bond with the infant instantly.
Attachment
The young babysitter grew close to the little girl fast and was naturally curious about her condition. She did her research and learned more.
On finding the unfortunate condition of little Talia, Kiersten then made this decision which shocked everyone.
It Was A Match!
Kiersten decided to donate her liver to Talia. She requested a test to see if she was a match. And she was! Hearing this she was even more confident in her decision.
Talia's mother was happy but extremely surprised. She said, "This is not like donating blood. This is serious; you need to talk to your parents." She asked Kiersten to research more and rethink it, to which Kiersten said that she already did.
Surgery
After six months of paperwork and endless tests, the surgery was finally done. It took 14 long hours and it was a success. A part of Kiersten's liver was removed and transplanted in Talia's body.
According to Kiersten, the first two days of recovery was awful. She felt very uncomfortable. But all the pain and suffering was worth it.
Small Sacrifice
Kiersten had been warned before the procedure that she would never be able to donate again, even if she had a kid in the same scenario and was a match. That didn't matter, though.
"It's such a small sacrifice when you compare it to saving a life," Kiersten said.
Recovery
Talia's parents stated she recovered rapidly, and she was even discharged after only nine days in the hospital, despite the fact that the usual hospital stay is 14 days.
Talia's father was taken aback by how swiftly his daughter had returned to her former self. He said, "I call her my rock star because she went through so much, and she's stronger."
Scars To Cherish
Miles and Talia both have scars from their surgery. Talia's parents are in awe of what their nanny has done for them. Out of the goodness of her heart.
The scar didn't matter to Kiersten, "All I had to do was be in the hospital for a week and a five-inch scar. I don't know, it just seemed like such a small sacrifice to me."
Awareness
Kiersten has been more conscious of the need for organ donation and awareness in America after helping Talia survive her life-threatening condition.
While she will never be able to give another part of her liver, she believes it was worthwhile because it saved someone's life.
New Outlook Towards Life
Kiersten now devotes her time and effort to spreading awareness about the urgent need for new organ donors.
"It was meant to be," the young woman believes. "It's transformed my outlook on my whole life," she said, adding that the event made her a better human being.
Angel On Earth
This beautiful story was shared on various news outlets. "She really is an angel on earth; I know that sounds silly, but she really is," Talia's mother was quoted saying in one of the interviews.
This story yet again proves that, yes, there are still generous people in this world.