Niyana Thrives After Liver Transplant, Thanks to Mom

Niyana was only 3 months old when her parents, Tonisha and Montel, rushed her from their pediatrician’s office to a nearby hospital in downstate Illinois. Their baby was jaundiced, losing weight and struggling to keep food down. 

Following a liver biopsy and a series of tests, doctors delivered devastating news: Niyana had biliary atresia — a rare and serious condition in infants where the bile ducts are blocked or damaged, causing bile to build up in the liver. Surgeons attempted an initial procedure to restore bile flow, but it brought no improvement. Just days later, a second biopsy revealed her liver had already progressed to stage 3 cirrhosis, with extensive scarring and severely impaired function. 

The family was urgently referred to Lurie Children’s. At her first visit to Lurie Children’s renowned Pediatric Liver Center, Niyana’s doctors let the family know a liver transplant would be critical to her survival.

Tonisha was identified as a match and was immediately willing to donate part of her liver to save her daughter. But with five other children at home, a full-time job and a long drive to Chicago from their home in Quad Cities, doctors initially encouraged her to wait for another match. They reassured her that Niyana could wait for a donor through the transplant list.  

Niyana went home on medication and was closely monitored. But a few months later, her condition worsened dramatically. She was vomiting blood and had nearly no liver function left. This time, her medical team agreed: Tonisha could be the donor.  

In liver transplantation, a healthy person can be tested to ensure compatibility with a patient, and then donate a portion of their liver. The donor’s liver regenerates and grows back within weeks.  

“It just made sense,” Tonisha said. “I’m right here. Let’s not take someone else’s liver that another child could use. I needed to save my baby’s life.”  

Logistics made the situation even more challenging. Tonisha’s job and her responsibilities as a mother of six left little room for the countless appointments and recovery time the transplant would require. She and Montel made the difficult decision to relocate from their downstate home to Streamwood, Illinois, bringing them within an hour of the hospital.  

They hadn't even fully moved in when the transplant was scheduled for April 30. But for Niyana’s health and survival, it couldn’t wait. “It was a very hectic time,” Tonisha recalled.  

The transplant was a success. Niyana’s body accepted the new liver. Still, recovery took time and even required some use of a breathing tube as she healed.  
  
Meanwhile, Tonisha’s recovery was painful. It took eleven long days before she was able to hold her baby girl again.  

“When she opened her eyes, and the yellow (from her jaundice) was gone... I just cried,” Tonisha recalled.  
Niyana spent three months in the hospital as Niyana got stronger. Her parents learned how to manage her medications at home.

She has progressed steadily. Today, a year out from transplant, Niyana is nearly 2 years old and recently graduated from physical therapy. Before the transplant, she was delayed on milestones like crawling and rolling. Now she’s running and trying to keep up with her older siblings.   

She’s still working on eating and drinking on her own, after months of relying on a feeding tube, and she continues speech therapy. But she’s thriving.  

“She’s a fighter and she’s strong,” Tonisha said. "She caught up on milestones fast. She’s happy all the time." 

When asked if she’d do it all again, Tonisha, who has fully recovered from her procedure, said, "I’d do it three times over. I’d even do it for another baby. Seeing her so sick and so close to death, compared to what she’s doing now, nothing compares to that. It’s the best feeling." 

Read more about Lurie Children's Pediatric Liver Transplant Program here.