Emma’s Journey to a New Liver

Hello, my name is Carie Amoroso and I am raising funds to help with expenses that will arise due to my sweet, 6 month old niece, Emma, who requires a liver transplant.

Emma was born a healthy baby girl on March 17, 2022, at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, Japan. By May 31, she looked quite jaundiced and was admitted to the National Center for Child Health and Development (NCCHD) in Tokyo. They suspected she had a rare liver disease known as biliary atresia.

Biliary Atresia (BA), or “tando heisa sho” in Japanese, is a disease where one or more bile ducts are narrowed and obstructed, preventing bile from properly exiting the liver. BA can be congenital or acquired, but there is not much known about the cause and no medications to cure it. Emma underwent the Kasai Portoenterostomy at 90 days old, having her extrahepatic bile duct and gallbladder removed. After 52 days in the hospital, Emma went home.

Unfortunately, at her two months post-Kasai appointment, her bilirubin levels had quadrupled, so it was time to start talking (ng with the transplant team.

Since Emma and her family are living in Tokyo, while her dad serves in the US Air Force, currently in his 19th year of service), she had been receiving excellent care from NCCHD thus far, when to find out t that Tricare denied authorization to do the liver transplant surgery there. International SOS informed Emma’s care providers that they do not and would not be able to certify Japan’s national children’s hospital to do the transplant.

Emma, Mom, Dad, and big brother Brock will have to leave their dog Keiko with friends at Yokota for a few months while they head to Cleveland, OH to have Emma’s liver transplant surgery. They are hoping that Dad can be her living donor. Emma will need to be within one hour's driving distance from Cleveland Clinic for the first few months post-transplant.

This fundraiser aims to help Emma’s family offset some of the costs associated with the extensive transplant process, such as medical expenses, travel from Japan to and around Cleveland, and all other out-of-pocket costs while they are in Ohio. The hope is that these funds will help relieve the financial burden as they navigate this journey towards Emma’s good health.

We will continue to provide significant updates as Emma transitions into her new life with a new liver.

The Murphy family is thankful to each and every one of you for being a part of Emma’s unexpected journey. They appreciate your support, good vibes, thoughts, prayers, and donations for Emma.