A Michigan family is celebrating a miraculous gift of life after their son, who needed not one, but five organ transplants , finally found a perfect match.
Jakob Perez, a nine-year-old boy waited his entire life to find a match for the five organ transplants including a new stomach, large intestine, small intestine, liver and pancreas. He suffers from a rare disease called microvillus inclusion, which prevents his body from absorbing nutrients.
The condition affects less than 100 people worldwide, according to Jakob's mom. Due to his condition , the organs needed to come from a single donor—a child around Jakob’s size.
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"He can eat and drink, but nothing gets absorbed into his system. So, he has been on IV nutrition for his entire life," explained mom Mickaela Perez. Jakob is known as a light to anyone who crosses his path in light, with his family explaining that despite all the battles he has had to face with his health throughout his short life, he has always remained in high spirits.
"He has lots of friends. He loves out community and he's kind of the neighborhood Mr Rogers," Mickaela said of her young son. Now, after nine years of hoping and praying for a miracle, the family has finally received the call they had been waiting for.
"They called us Monday afternoon and said, 'We have a match, and we need you to get to Pittsburgh,'" Mickaela recalled. Jakob and his family rushed to Pittsburgh, where he underwent surgery just two days after the call, on Wednesday.
"It’s been surreal. We were reaching the point where we weren’t sure it would ever happen. We tried to prepare as best we could," said Joshua Perez, Jakob’s father. The Perez family emphasizes the importance of being a donor, regardless of age, as they express their profound gratitude for this life-saving gift.
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"We just want to say thank you. That’s not even adequate, but just thank you. I hope that one day we get to meet you and that you know we will cherish this gift of life for eternity," Mickaela said.
A special benefit for Jakob is scheduled to be held at the Chesaning Conservation Club on August 24. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), Microvillus Inclusion Disease is an "extremely rare inherited intestinal disorder (enteropathy) that is typically apparent within hours or days after birth."
Children with the condition can be left suffering severe dehydration along with a "deficiency of necessary nutrients", according to NORD. They can also suffer "a failure to grow and gain weight at the expected rate (failure to thrive) and/or disturbance of the body's balance of acids and bases, which is essential in regulating the body's composition of bodily fluids (acidosis)."
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