Kristin Alcaraz was three months old when her mother noticed something was very wrong. Her belly was swollen and eyes and skin were yellow. Doctors at Children's Medical Center Dallas found the problem quickly: Kristin's liver didn't have a bile duct, so she was suffering from severe cirrhosis and jaundice.
Just a baby, Kristin underwent surgery to temporarily fix the problem, but doctors knew she'd need a liver transplant to have even a 30 percent chance of survival.
The Alcaraz family waited for two years. Kristin's swollen liver made it hard for her to learn to walk and caused some of her veins to burst. She had a port inserted in her chest to get nourishment. When the call came that a liver was available, doctors at Children's Medical Center walked the Alcarez family through the transplant process.
The surgery changed Kristin's life. Within months, the jaundice was gone and she was jumping on the bed like any rambunctious two-year-old. Now, Kristin is 11 years old and a forward on her soccer team. Meeting her, you'd never know the medical challenges she's overcome.
Kristin is here today because her doctors never gave up. They looked at the odds, and helped Kristin beat them. Every child facing a medical crisis deserves a high level of care, optimism and a chance to survive. Sign the petition to show your support for more innovative research, lifesaving treatments and compassionate care to ensure every sick child gets the chance to beat the odds.
