Little Hero From South Lyon Gets a New Lease on Life After a Successful Liver Transplant

A playful tot from South Lyon who needed vital nourishment, sleep, and a brand new liver to surge forward in life, now has them all, and that too due to a generous stranger.

The two-year-old lad, Blake Hermann, recently welcomed a successful liver transplant and he has now returned to the comfort of his home, embraced by his toy trucks and embarked on the path of recovery.

“We’re unwaveringly thankful for the donor family’s big-hearted choice that granted our son his new life,” expressed Molly Hermann, Blake’s mother. She reports a significant improvement in his sleep habits and a significant decrease in itches, though his appetite is showing gradual recovery.

Blake was born with a rare health anomaly called the Type 1 progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, which resulted in bile accumulation in his liver. This led to persistent itching, jaundice, and restricted his body from soaking up nutrients. In a quest for a possible solution, his parents sought out a live liver donor, a prospect deemed quicker than waiting for a deceased donor’s liver by Blake’s medical crew at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

Unfortunately, his case was complicated, making it hard to find a matching donor. This warranted a special appeal to the United Network for Organ Sharing by the hospital seeking an exemption for Blake to move up their waiting list. They cited his worsening condition with severe sleep deprivation and sustaining itching. To their luck, the application was accepted, upscaling Blake’s priority.

Miraculously, on the closing day of July, the Hermanns received a call, a liver was available for Blake. The toddler went into operation on August 1st, and after an eight-hour long procedure, he came out triumphant with a new liver.

There was a small hitch due to a mismatch in liver size that needed another surgery, but that didn’t deter him. He is now back home and slowly gaining his appetite.

“We are joyous at Blake’s returned sleep quality and foresee him reverting to a normal kid, relishing life,” stated Dr. Najeeb Zoubi, the pediatric transplant hepatologist treating Blake. Zoubi expressed appreciation for the individual contributing as a deceased donor, sparing a healthy person from undergoing a major surgery and subsequent recovery.

The Hermann’s little fighter is hell-bent on putting on weight for which he’s been provided a feeding tube. His preferred dishses? Pretzels, scrambled eggs, and specifically Fruit Loops, although he suggests adding bagels to that list too!

Blake still needs to continue his medicine, avoid the sick due to a weakened immune system and attend followup consultations. However, his doctors are hopeful that in a few months he will enjoy a normal childhood with his family and, in due course, even join school.

The Hermann family is brimming with gratitude. “We are grateful for our village of friends, family, community, and medical staff. Our little guy is strong, brave, and we are confident – he will be just fine.”