Former News 12 reporter finds living liver donor after desperate call for help
Amy McGorry was urgently searching for a living liver donor as she battled two chronic liver diseases.
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A former News 12 reporter in desperate need of a liver donation found a life-saving match after a News 12 viewer and friend stepped in to help.
Amy McGorry was urgently searching for a living liver donor as she battled two chronic liver diseases.
McGorry has been living with autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis, also known as PBC, for most of her life. Both conditions cause permanent damage to the liver.
"I'm so grateful I got a chance to live again," McGorry said.
After seeing Amy's desperate call for help on News 12, Sue Filshie stepped in.
"It was through News 12 that I really learned more about Amy's plight and living donor liver program," said Filshie, Amy's donor.
This wasn't a stranger stepping forward. She and Amy had known each other since childhood.
"Amy and I met playing in a tennis camp and we were probably 10 and 11, I can't remember but instantly, Amy and I became friends," Filshie said.
She went through test after test to make sure she was a perfect match. She said it was a mix of emotions when she found out she was a match.
"Shocking, I guess, happy, nervous. It's like a flood of emotions," Filshie said.
For Amy, this news was life-changing.
"I get this call when I was teaching at the time and all they said was we found you a donor," McGorry said.. "Then I get a call from Sue and she's like, 'How would you like to have my liver?' and I was like, I can't believe you're the person."
Now, three months after the surgery, both are recovering at home.
"It's been a rougher road than what I thought it would be but so much better," McGorry said.
"I really do feel good. The recovery was as planned," Filshie said. "I just pray that my liver is able to help Amy."
They both hope their story inspires others to learn about living organ donation.
"If more people would consider doing the live liver donation program and saving more lives, that's wonderful," Filshie said.
"Why let everything else in your body start shutting down when you had the opportunity to have a living donor jump in right now and be like, let's stop this progression by getting you that new liver and a living donor allows you that faster time to get that," McGorry said.. "It's just so important and I would hope that more people would consider it."
