“He has his good days and his bad days,” said the boy’s mother Whitney McLean
By
Caitlin Keating
April 09, 2019 04:50 PM
5-month-old Marcus is in a race against time to receive a partial liver transplant in the next three weeks or he won’t survive.
Parents Tony Albers and Whitney McLean, of Waukesha, Wisconsin, are doing everything in their power to find a donor for him, they tell Live 5 News.
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Marcus has an extremely rare liver disease called immunodeficiency 47, with only 12 known cases worldwide, his parents say.
McLean said that the disease is passed down through the mother, but only boys show symptoms.
“My grandmother had all girls, my mother had all girls,” she said. “These last few weeks were really rough. His health … he has his good days and his bad days.”
The heartbroken mother also spoke to WKRC and said that “we were told that Marcus has weeks to live. And that was a week and a half ago.”
Because no one in Marcus’s family is a match to be a donor, they need a stranger to come forward to save his life. Tragically, his 2-year-old brother has the same condition and will also need a transplant one day.
According to NBC, Marcus is currently in the intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
A GoFundMe page has also been created to help pay for the procedure. It has since raised over $23,000.
“Due to the overwhelming response of individuals willing to be screened as a donor, they are no longer accepting additional inquiries,” they wrote on the page.
They added: “Please keep Marcus in your prayers as we await news that a perfect match has been found. Tony, Whitney, and Dominic thank you for your continued support!” they wrote on the page.
If you’re interested in general information and FAQ about the process of living donation, please visit the American Transplant Foundation website.