Thank you for taking a moment to read about Cheryl’s journey.

As some of you may know, Cheryl Zahajko – amazing wife, mother, sister, and friend – was recently placed on the waiting list for a liver donation at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. But Cheryl’s health challenges began decades ago:

At the age of eight she was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, a painful and debilitating inflammatory bowel condition. Despite the devastating symptoms, she powered through school – a varsity athlete, musician, and honors graduate. She attended the University of Washington and earned a degree in special education, which she taught for many years.

In 2001 Cheryl received an additional diagnosis of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, a progressive – and ultimately fatal – liver disease that is linked with IBD. Eleven years later she learned that she also had colon cancer, which necessitated the removal of her colon. During this ordeal the UW Medical Center determined that she suffered from Chronic Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID), a rare auto-immune condition.

Cheryl never gave up hope – continuing to teach, play soccer, and run until she was forced to take medical leave in 2022. In 2023 she and her family received the devastating news that her complicated medical history precluded her from consideration for a liver transplant at the UW. This was – in essence – a death sentence. Thankfully, Cheryl’s physicians did not give up and referred her to Ochsner Medical Center, one of the leading organ transplant hospitals in the world. After two trips to Louisiana and extensive tests, Cheryl was finally approved for a liver transplant and placed on the transplant list.

Undergoing an organ transplant at Ochsner will require Cheryl to relocate to New Orleans for several months – once an organ becomes available the recipient must arrive at the hospital within thirty minutes; a liver only lasts twelve hours outside of the body. Although the average wait is four to six months, it could be shorter or longer. For this reason our goal is to raise $15,000 to offset the expense of relocating to New Orleans for several months.

At the time of Cheryl’s PSC diagnosis in 2001 it was projected that she would require a liver transplant in fifteen years. But she’s defied those odds – living seven years past that projection. Cheryl’s beautiful smile – and toughness – has often masked the pain that she’s endured since childhood; this transplant will truly be the gift of life for her and her family. Please consider giving as you are able and continue to keep Cheryl and her family in your prayers.