It is often said that parents will do anything for their children, and Ashlynn Moss is no exception to that, undergoing major surgery to save her newborn from liver failure.

On November 13, 2023, Moss and her husband were overjoyed to welcome their son Luka into the world. But their delight soon shifted to fear, as it became evident that their newborn wasn’t doing so well.

Within a week, Luka showed signs of jaundice, and even phototherapy under blue lights didn’t improve his condition. It was a terrifying experience for Moss, 30, from Salt Lake City, Utah. She told Newsweek that they spent 10 days in the hospital “without many answers.”

An ultrasound scan revealed that Luka didn’t have a gallbladder, and, at just 14 days old, he underwent his first liver biopsy.

“His potential diagnosis was biliary atresia, which is a liver disease where the bile ducts that connect the gallbladder to the lower intestine are either too narrow or underdeveloped, and bile can’t flow,” Moss said.

“However, they could not verify this until doing an exploratory surgery. That quickly showed that he did in fact have biliary atresia, so they proceeded with a procedure called Kasai.”

The Kasai surgical procedure entails removing the blocked bile ducts outside the liver and using a portion of the baby’s small intestine to create a new pathway instead. This allows bile to drain out of the liver and is used to prevent liver failure.

Seeking a Liver Transplant

While Luka underwent the surgery at just a few weeks old, it was deemed a failure the following April. As a result, he had to be listed for a liver transplant on April 17, 2024.

“My husband and I wasted no time and began our online applications to donate,” Moss continued.

Weeks later, the family thought their prayers had been answered when they received a call to say that Luka had a liver match on June 1. Moss experienced a “wave of emotions,” knowing that her son’s life could be changed, but that another family was suffering loss simultaneously.

The family spent the day waiting for updates as the liver was being flown in from Kansas. As Luka was being prepped for surgery that evening, everything changed. The surgeons wanted to speak with Moss and her husband, and she knew straight away that something was wrong.

“They came in with disappointment on their faces. Something to do with flight delays made it so the liver had been out for too long and they were not confident in giving it to Luka. The silence in that room could be heard around the world because my husband and I were devastated,” Moss said.

By 6 months old, Luka was in end-stage liver failure, and his condition was deteriorating rapidly. He had turned completely yellow, his eyes were yellow, and his body was swollen.

As the family continued waiting and hoping for another liver to become available, Moss got the news she had been waiting for: she was a perfect match to do a living organ donation. She was admitted for surgery on June 26 at a hospital approximately 30 minutes away.

Moss’s surgery lasted for around six hours, and 22 percent of her left lobe was removed. This is the smaller of the two main liver lobes, and it plays a vital role in bile production and detoxification.

“The surgeon personally transferred it to the children’s hospital and began Luka’s surgery, which lasted around eight hours,” Moss said.

Recovery was painful for Moss, but she told Newsweek that she “didn’t care” how she was feeling. What mattered the most was knowing that her son was stable. She spent three days in hospital, eating as healthily as she could to build up enough strength to be reunited with Luka.

Moss was discharged three days later on June 29, and there was only one place she wanted to go.

“That moment of seeing and being reunited with him for the first time is something I longed for. Words can’t express how complete I felt to be back together. I wanted him to feel my love and know that his mom was there, and she wasn’t leaving,” Moss continued.

Unfortunately, Luka’s recovery was anything but smooth. Following the surgery, his body swelled dangerously, and his lungs collapsed, forcing doctors to place him on a ventilator. His heart stopped on June 30, and his parents were terrified that he wouldn’t pull through.

Luka was placed on heavy sedation, but even that wasn’t enough to stop his heavy thrashing. Doctors spent several minutes resuscitating Luka before making the difficult decision to use a paralyzing agent to stop him from moving and potentially hurting himself.

Days later, Luka got an arterial line infection, causing septic shock. He had to have another operation to locate the infection before being treated with antibiotics.

“Luka is a fighter, which almost cost him his life, but it also saved it.” Moss said. “He became addicted to the pain medications and sedatives and had to go through heavy withdrawal as he was getting better.”

Looking to the Future

On July 26, the family was finally able to go home after a turbulent and daunting few months. It felt “so surreal” for Moss to carry her son out of the hospital, but she was so excited for Luka to begin his new life.

“I knew the best healing for both of us would happen in the comfort of our own home with our other kids. Luka is absolutely thriving now. He has beautiful white eyes and is catching up on all his milestones,” Moss continued.

Unless he has any complications, Luka shouldn’t require any further surgeries. He takes anti-rejection medicine daily, and has monthly labs drawn to monitor his liver function.

Luka may only be 22 months old, but he has already proven what a fierce warrior he truly is. As for his mom, she feels such deep gratitude to have been part of his journey and she would “do it all over again” in a heartbeat.

Moss said: “My life hasn’t been the same since this journey started. My perspective has changed, and not a single day of being alive has been taken for granted.

“Watching him learning new things, laughing, and playing is bliss. God and his team of doctors saved his life; I was just a piece of the puzzle,” the mom added.

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