Jeremiah was born, and my wife called me at work and said, “Honey, there’s something wrong with Jeremiah.” Right then, I turned blue.
Jeremiah was diagnosed with Crigler-Najjar type 2, a rare disorder that can cause brain damage or death. The only cure is a liver transplant.
It’s scary. I turned my child over to the surgeon, not knowing what the outcome would be. We feel so lucky that we had the best team caring for him. Jeremiah is very brilliant, very energetic. Because of the transplant, he can have a normal life. There is no stopping him.
Charles Kwakye, dad
This article first appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Lucile Packard Children's News.