‘It had to be done’

For Sandpoint residents Jeff and Denise McLagan, every day is Thanksgiving. During the past year, Jeff and Denise say they have witnessed God’s miracles firsthand – miracles that allowed Jeff to give the gift of life to his 2  1/2 year old grandson Aiden Borchers.

Aiden was born with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, an inherited disorder that causes liver disease. Alpha-1 antitrypsin is a protein produced by the liver that protects the lungs.

“He was jaundiced when he was born and it never went away,” said Jeff. “They took some tests and he was diagnosed.”

A liver transplant was Aiden’s only hope for survival. But the doctors in California, where Aiden lives, told the family that the transplant could not take place until Aiden was about 3 years old. His body needed to mature before they had any hope of a successful transplant.

But as the weeks and months passed, it was clear that Aiden’s health was quickly failing. The family waited for a cadaveric liver, but when Aiden’s condition worsened they began to test relatives to see if they were a match.

“The first criteria is that you (the donor) have to be the same blood type (as the recipient),” said Jeff.

Jeff’s daughter Kristin was tested but is a different blood type than her son, meaning that Aiden’s father would be a match for, at the very least, the blood type. Unfortunately, Aiden’s father is not a part of his life so to test him was not an option.

Because the donation of a liver from a living human is a relatively new procedure, it was not until Kristin called her dad that Jeff, 52, even thought about being a donor.

Unsure of his blood type, Jeff wasted no time finding out if he could help save Aiden’s life. He immediately went to see his doctor and sure enough he was a match.

“From then on it was like all these little things that needed to happen fell into place,” said Denise.

Upon learning that his blood type was a match, the McLagans left for San Francisco where Jeff spent a week undergoing CT scans, ultrasounds, blood tests, and many other tests including an analysis of the liver and blood vessels.

“The anatomy of how the liver would be hooked into Aiden had to be looked at to see if we could match,” said Jeff. In the end, Jeff and Aiden matched perfectly. Another miracle along the path of healing his grandson.

Denise explains that Jeff also had to go through psychological evaluations to make sure he was emotionally prepared for what he was about to undergo. What if Aiden had died from the transplant? Could Jeff handle that? These were just some of the concerns addressed.

“My survival is one issue they (the hospital staff) addressed,” said Jeff, who adds that there are still things that could go wrong for years to come, including the failure of his own liver and scar tissue which could potentially wrap around the intestines.

For Denise and Jeff there were so many concerns that it became overwhelming. Self employed as a taxidermist, Jeff wondered how they would meet their financial obligations. They also have a large garden upon which they rely for much of their food. How could they tend to these things when they were in California? Fortunately, Denise’s parents were able to travel to and stay in Sandpoint while Jeff and Denise were in California. While Jeff had insurance, a big issue is if he were ever to lose that insurance would he be uninsurable in the future. All these issues, and more, had to be weighed.

Jeff said his biggest worry was how Denise would handle it if he did not survive the surgery. “She really had the most to lose,” said Jeff. “If I died I would be in heaven.”

But to worry about all of that became too much. Instead, they turned to what they have relied upon their entire 16 years of marriage – their faith.

“There were too many things to worry about so we gathered it up and gave it to God,” said Denise who adds that she was very afraid and had some reservations initially, but had the confidence God would get them through. “A peace just came over us and we knew it was what we had to do.”

Jeff said he never gave his decision a second thought. “We had to do it or he would have died,” said Jeff. “And another cool thing that came from this is that it freed up the next cadaveric liver for another person.”

The need for the transplant became urgent and on June 26, Aiden received a portion of his grandfather’s liver, and almost instantly transformed from a very sick little boy to a lively toddler.

After the surgery, Jeff was eager to see his grandson, but was unable to until he was unhooked from the machines that monitored his recovery. But when he was finally able to, he ventured to the pediatric floor of the hospital as often as he could.

While Aiden bounced back immediately after the surgery, it wasn’t so easy for Jeff.

He developed complications and had to be re-admitted to the hospital. What should have been about six weeks recovery took Jeff three months and he says even now he is not back to his full strength. But each day he gets stronger and stronger.

“God worked it through and answered our prayers,” said Denise.

A humble man, Jeff was surprised at how many people praised him for what he had done.

A common reaction was that people told him they were not sure they could do what he did for his grandson. He assured them they would.

“There was no question. It had to be done,” said Jeff.

His decision has not only changed Jeff’s life, but also has impacted others who know him. “People have told me that because of what I did they are now organ donors,” said Jeff, emphasizing the huge need for people to become donors.

Finding it hard to ask for help, Jeff said he was so grateful to all who came to help cut fire wood and put up hay for their animals. “One thing I’ve learned is that it’s OK to ask for help,” he said.

Today, Aiden is a happy toddler getting ready to celebrate his third birthday in December. He is responding well to his medication and the doctors expect Aiden to be off it within a few years. Developmentally, Aiden still has some catching up to do, but he knows who Grandpa is and comes running to him with open arms when he sees him. The two share a special lifelong bond.

“For Aiden, it’s like nothing ever happened,” said Jeff. “He’s really proud of his scar, lifting his shirt up to show everyone.”

But in the end it was not only Aiden who received a gift. Jeff and Denise did, too.

“God had everything in place,” said Denise. “It was amazing how many people came together to help us. We didn’t know how many people truly cared about us.”