A son saved his father’s life by donating part of his liver just days before Father’s Day.
Father-of-three Richard Pustorino, 55, from Garden City, New York, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a severe inflammatory bowel condition, when he was 19 years old.
Many years later, he developed a related condition that severely damaged his liver and left him in need of a life-saving liver transplant.
All three of his sons were tested but only one, Tom, 26, was a perfect match, reported News 12 Long Island.
After much resistance, Richard agreed to let Tom be his donor, and the two spent Father’s Day recovering together in the hospital.
Richard Pustorino, 55, from Garden City, New York, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a severe inflammatory bowel condition, at age 19. Pictured: Richard, left, and Tom together in the hospital
Years later, Richard developed a related condition that damaged his liver and left him in need of a liver transplant. Pictured: Tom (in black blazer) with friends
Richard was diagnosed nearly four decades ago with Crohn’s disease, a chronic bowel disease that inflames the digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea and blood in the stool.
The symptoms often occur without warning and requires sufferers to find the nearest restroom as soon as possible.
Those with Crohn’s disease can experience complications not related to the digestive tract, including liver disease and liver inflammation.
Richard developed liver complications, which damaged the organ. About five years ago, his health began rapidly declining.
‘Watching him slowly deteriorate over time was a very hard thing to watch,’ his son, Tom, told News 12.
Doctors told Richard that he needed a liver transplant or else he would die.
Richard’s three sons were all tested, and Tom was declared to be a perfect match. But their father was tentative about having one of his children be the donor.
‘As a parent, as a father, your job is to take care of them, not have them take care of you,’ he told News 12.
However, after some discussion with the entire family, Richard relented.
Last Tuesday, Richard and Tom underwent the 10-hour operation at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, with Tom donating about 65 percent of his liver.
All three of his sons were tested but only one, Tom, 26, was a perfect match. Pictured: Tom, right, with his now-wife, Alanna
The two underwent the 10-hour operation last week at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and spent Father’s Day recovering together in the hospital. Pictured: Richard
‘[Tom] was my main concern,’ Richard said, ‘It’s cavalier to say I didn’t care about myself but I wanted him to come through.’
Within the last month, aside from the liver transplant, Tom married his high school sweetheart Alanna and graduated from medical school.
According to News 12, he hopes to complete a fellowship in gastroenterology.
Doctors say both father and son are recovering well and spent Father’s Day together in the hospital.
‘He gave me my life back,’ Richard told the station. ‘I think I have Father’s Day sealed for the next 30 years at least.’
Tom added: ‘What better gift could I have given him than a piece of me?’
According to the American Liver Foundation, about 8,000 liver transplants were performed in the US, of which about 330 were from living donors.
Currently, there are nearly 15,000 people were registered on the waiting list for a liver transplant.