Baby With Rare Genetic Disorder Gets A Second Shot In Life After His Dad Made A Big Sacrifice

Dec 26, 2023 by apost team

Despite the consequences, parents often go to extraordinary lengths to protect their children, especially when their lives hang in the balance. This is what a heroic father named Logan Cook did to his son Liam.  

According to a GoFundMe fundraising page, the mom, Molly Cook, gave birth to a baby boy named Liam in March 2023. Initially, they thought things were normal as the young infant seemed to be healthy.

"He came out seven pounds, seven ounces, screaming," Molly said in an interview with News11 in September 2023. 

But hours later, he was rushed to the NICU. "We noticed his body temp started going down and they were like, 'just to be extra careful, we're going to take him to the NICU,'" she added.

Unfortunately, it was revealed that the baby had an "extremely elevated ammonia level," and he was transferred to the Children's of Alabama hospital, two hours away from his parents' home, to save his life.

Liam was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, and underwent treatments such as dialysis and intubation

"OTC deficiency is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the lack of the enzyme responsible for breaking down nitrogen in the body," the description on the page explained.

The only way to treat the baby is through a liver transplant, and even though the operation was risky, it had to be done.

In the interview, Liam shared how their little bundle of joy was so happy as he explained:

"I'd say he's a pretty happy little guy. He's pretty content most of the time."

In the initial interview, both Liam and Molly were not capable of donating their livers to baby Liam based on the tests, but months later, in November 2023, it was discovered that the young boy had grown big enough to become a match for his dad.

Liam and his dad traveled to Pittsburgh for the surgery, and after long hours of the operation, it was a massive success. However, the fight was not over, as the family needed to spend the next few months at the hospital.

Since both parents couldn't work as they needed to tend to their baby's needs, they set up a GoFundMe page, and as of December 2023, they managed to receive over $74,943 from 574 donors out of their $100,000 goal.

Some of the donors shared their support in the comment section of the page, as many of them donated because the family's story resonated with them.

"My baby was born on the same day as Liam. We hope Liam gets all the quality care he deserves, and both of you can get some much needed relief from bills and stress so you can focus on what's most important," one wrote. 

"I lost my son Liam at 21 weeks. Donating this in his name and wishing you the absolute best in saving your little Liam," another one wrote.

"I hope that a donation will help alleviate some of the stress that Logan's parents are going through. Keeping them all in my prayers. God bless," one commented.

"A good deed , Liam is gonna win !," another one wrote.

apost.com

What do you think of the father's sacrifice in order to save his baby's life? Do you find his story inspiring? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.