WYANDOTTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — The process of getting a liver transplant isn't easy for anyone, but this holiday season as Christopher Warren spends more time in the hospital, his family is hoping for a miracle.
"I definitely believe in Christmas miracles," Warren's wife Christy said.
7 News Detroit has done countless stories with the Warren family about their son Cylis, who has Down syndrome and runs a popular lemonade stand that advocates for more awareness. Cylis was recently diagnosed with autism. Now, his father is in a fight for his life.
Watch our August 2024 report about Cylis in the video below:
While many people are prepping for the holidays, the Warren family is asking for living donors with type A or O blood that might be willing to be tested as a liver donor match.
"He needs a transplant. It is critical. He is fading in and out of quite quickly," Christy Warren said.
Christopher Warren has reached end-stage liver failure with liver cancer caused by Type 2 diabetes.
Hear more from Christy Warren in the video below:
He was placed on the transplant list in December. After his first attempt at a surgery was unsuccessful, Christy Warren put a call out to social media.
"We're asking all of our Detroiters... if you think you can be a match, you can. And maybe if you can't help my husband, maybe you can help somebody else," Christy Warren said.
The post has been meet with hundreds of shares, comments and support.
"It's overwhelming — definitely. I feel so grateful. Never in a million years that I write that post and expect it to go as viral as it did," said Christy Warren.
On Tuesday, Christy Warren went from dropping Christopher off at the emergency room, to taking Cylis to an appointment, to her kids' school to put out some Christmas decor.
As she placed a deer, community member Susan Cameon stopped by with a box of food.
"I was raised by very loving, giving parents who always said offer and do the best you can for anybody who is in need," Cameon said.
Christy Warren says it's just one example of the people who have shown up, donating food for the family and adopting them for Christmas.
Dr. Kimberly Brown, chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, as well as the associate medical director of Henry Ford Hospital Transplant, says the need is great across the state.
"There has always been and continues to be a pretty significant need for donor organs," Brown said.
How fast people move on the donor list is based on their degree of illness. Brown says living donors who volunteer do help patients who may be waiting.
“Those candidates can come from the community. They can be altruistic donors, they can be family members, they can be friends or colleagues. Those individuals are evaluated completely separately from their recipient to ensure their medical health and their anatomy is appropriate to consider donation and that they would be an appropriate match for that individual," Brown said. "It is a very difficult personal choice. I would say the patients that come forward, we have them evaluated on a number of different levels."
Living donation for liver transplant dates back to the 1950s.
Christy Warren says interested living donors can sign up directly on Henry Ford's website and mention Christopher.
