SEATTLE — A Seattle teenager used her summer break before heading to college to give a nine-month-old baby the chance to live.
Vinny Starelli, now 18 months old, is continuing his recovery and treatment after receiving a living liver transplant from his donor, Nikki, 19.
Before Vinny was born, a prenatal scan revealed there was something wrong with his liver. He underwent several tests after he was born.
Eventually, Vinny was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia, a rare liver condition that occurs when a baby's bile ducts do not form normally and are unable to drain. His mom said he knew this could be fatal unless Vinny got a liver transplant.
Instead of waiting for a deceased donor who matched Vinny, the procedures were scheduled immediately.
"It was just kind of a no-brainer," Nikki said. "It just really felt like this is something that I can do in some way, that I can help."
Vinny's parents, Kayla and Vincenzo, say they are grateful for Nikki's selfless decision to register for living organ donation and to go forward with the transplant. Nikki said she had a smooth recovery. Currently, she is in California attending college.
For the past nine months, Vinny has been recovering and receiving post-transplant treatment.
Kayla said they are looking forward to more birthdays and more family time with all of their children including Vittore, 14, and Michelle, 3.
Seattle teen saves infant's life through a living liver transplant
Destination Seattle
Seattle Children's Hospital (SCH) is the only pediatric liver transplant program in the Pacific Northwest.
Families travel hundreds of miles, and some even thousands of miles, to get to Seattle for life-saving treatment.
"60% of all liver transplants are in kids under five," Dr. Pamela Valentino, medical director of the Liver Transplant Program at Seattle Children's Hospital. "The highest rate of death on the waitlist is in our infants - 10%."
Valentino said SCH pediatric liver transplant program leaders do everything possible to advocate for patients. If a person donates to a baby, Valentino said a candidate is likely giving about 20 percent of their liver so it can grow back in weeks to months.
"We have the patient and family, education and communications team that created this, incredible living donor advocacy toolkits," Valentino said. "Patients and families learn more about the living donor process and so that they can communicate to others about the process to help them find a donor."
SCH said a potential donor could be a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or a stranger who happens to be registered. Raising awareness is key to increasing the chances of finding a match.
The Starellis live in Oregon City, Ore. Vinny and his mother continue to make regular trips to Seattle for his treatment.
They spent weeks and sometimes months away from family, so Vinny could receive treatment before and after his liver transplant.
Vinny's donor, Nikki, happened to have a connection to the Starellis. Her father was Kayla Starelli's pastor when she was growing up. Both families lived in Oregon at one time, before Nikki's family moved to Seattle.
Nikki's father is proud of her for offering to get tested to be a living donor, but he said he is not surprised she made such a selfless decision.
"I think seven people had signed up and only two were tested," Kayla said. "The others were put on the waitlist or were notified that they wouldn't have been a great candidate."
Kayla said a willing living donor signed up from out of state because they saw posts about Vinny's condition on social media. SCH recommends families put a callout to their in-person and social media communities to widen the search for an organ donor match.
Nikki's procedure was done at UW's Medical Center while Vinny was treated at SCH. The two hospitals work together to make these tandem procedures possible.
"Out of 60 pediatric liver transplant programs, we are in the top six busiest offering living donor liver transplants," Dr. Valentino said. "I know in the past three years, quite a few pediatric units have closed across the country."
To increase the number of potential living organ donors and deceased donors - Dr. Valentino along with the Starelli's are hoping more people will register.
Learn how you can become an organ donor:
Seattle Children's Hospital shared these stats from the active organ donation waitlist as of 1/16/2024 in Washington State:
- 159 patients are actively listed on the liver transplant waitlist in WA state: 11 children and 148 adults
- 1222 patients are actively listed on the kidney transplant waitlist in WA state: 44 children and 1178 adults
- 1381 patients are actively listed on the liver or kidney waitlist in WA state: 55 children and 1326 adults