‘The donor must be an angel’: 10-month-old baby saved by liver transplant surgery

The family of a 10-month-old baby who was desperately seeking a liver transplant say their daughter’s smile is “bigger and brighter than ever” after receiving life-saving surgery

The Toronto family learned baby Aliza Zaman had biliary atresia, a blockage in the tubes that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder.

In babies with this condition, bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder is blocked and can lead to liver damage and cirrhosis of the liver if left untreated.

The family moved from Bangladesh to Canada in 2017 so the baby’s father — Moniruzzaman Moni — could research for his PhD.

The family was told Aliza would require a liver transplant from a living or deceased donor.

When neither of her parents were eligible, the family began searching for a match.

The family started a Facebook page to appeal for the public’s assistance in finding a suitable donor.

In the meantime, Aliza was cared for at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.

In an update the family posted to Facebook on Monday, they said a donor match had recently been found, and that baby Aliza had undergone life-saving liver transplant surgery.

“Her surgery was successful, and she now feels muh better as she recovers in the hospital,” the post read. “We can see how much happier Aliza is no longer suffering from such a debilitating disease.”

The family said her “smile is bigger and brighter than ever,” adding that she is “eager to play and interact with her surroundings” and is “now more vibrant.”

“Our family is extremely grateful to the angel who became Aliza’s liver donor,” the post read. “When the transplant team told us that an anonymous donor had been identified, it seemed like a fairy tale. We told them that the donor must be an angel, and angels are not easy to find.”

The family said for someone to donate their liver “so selflessly to save Aliza’s life is a miraculous gift.”

“Thank you on behalf of Aliza and our entire family. Aliza now has a chance to thrive in life by learning to walk, play, and talk,” the family said.

The family said they are grateful that Aliza will get to grow alongside her older sister.

“To the incredible donor who saved Aliza, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and pray you have a smooth recovery,” the post read.