WINNIPEG – Allexis Siebrecht was wheeled into surgery for a lifesaving liver transplant at 6 a.m. CT Monday in Toronto.
The surgery is expected to take eight to 12 hours, friend Tina Lussier tells Global News.
Liz Siebrecht, Allexis’s mother, found out late Saturday night that a liver was available from a deceased donor and they boarded an air ambulance to Toronto within an hour.
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“I can’t even imagine how difficult this day is for Liz,” said Lussier. “It’s probably the longest day of her life so far.”
Lussier befriended the Siebrechts after her daughter, Samantha Lussier, offered her liver for transplant, but testing in Toronto found she wasn’t a match.
Allexis suffers from biliary atresia, a rare liver disease. She was diagnosed when she was three months old, had eight surgeries in the past two years and was recently placed on the list for a liver donation, her mother says on a gofundme page created to help cover travel expenses and accommodations in Toronto.
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Liz Siebrecht told Global News Sunday that they were keeping calm and waiting patiently after surgery was delayed. There was still a chance the liver wouldn’t be a match, she said.
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If surgery goes well there is still a long road ahead for Allexis, who could have to stay in Toronto for up to six months while in recovery.
“This is a huge financial stress for them,” said Lussier, who is helping to organize another fundraiser for the Siebrecht’s.
On Thursday June 11, they’re hosting a Bud, Sud and Steak event at The Oak in Transcona.
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