A Kelowna, B.C., woman has been given a second chance at life after receiving a long-awaited liver transplant thanks to a living donor, an Alberta woman who was complete stranger.
“She’s just the most incredible, selfless person I have ever met,” Lyndsay Richholt said from her hospital bed at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), where both she and the donor are recovering.
Richholt had been living on borrowed time, in end stage liver failure from autoimmune hepatitis.
“Last April, I was given six months to live by my doctors,” Richholt said.
The transplant happened on Friday.
It was two days later when Richholt and donor Robyn Ralph, 54, met for the first time.
“Meeting her was just the most emotional, spiritual moment ever,” Richholt said. “It was like watching your angel on Earth walk through the front door after they saved your life. It was just so amazing. I’ll never forget it.”
Emotion was raw when Ralph, wearing a hospital gown herself, walked into Richholt’s hospital room Sunday.
Richholt broke down in tears at seeing the woman who saved her life.
“You’ve changed my life already,” a deeply emotional Richholt said to Ralph. “You’re so incredible. I don’t know how you did this for me, just thank you.”
Ralph said she was moved after seeing a post someone had shared on social media describing Richholt’s dire situation.
“The liver is, it’s phenomenal. It’s miraculous. It regenerates, it’s like it was made to share,” Ralph said.
Ralph says her faith is why she stepped forward to help.
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“It’s been a journey of faith because I feel like God wanted me to do it,” Ralph said.
She added that her shared connection as a mother also compelled her to act.
“She had a 14, turning 15-year-old son and I was on my way getting ready for my son’s wedding. And I just was thinking, wow, like to miss out on all these things that are going to, you know, coming down the road for her. I just, I couldn’t bear that,” Ralph told Global News.
Richholt’s wait for a transplant was long and difficult.
She says her doctors first referred her for a transplant in April, 2024.
It took seven months until she was activated on the list in December later that year.
But it’s what’s called the MELD (Model For End-Stage Liver Disease) scoring system she blames for the long wait that she says nearly cost her her life.
MELD is based on specific lab values and doesn’t always reflect the severity of autoimmune liver disease.
Richholt wants to see it changed and plans to advocate for it.
“As I move forward, that’s something I want to really be a big part of my life because we need to see the changes now,” Richholt said. “It just kills me the thought of people waiting and waiting.”
Both Richholt and Ralph remain at VGH as they recover.
The two refer to themselves as soul sisters and friends for life.
Richholt added that in addition to that, Ralph is her hero and someone she will forever will be indebted to.
“If you and your family ever need anything, you know we are there,” she told Ralph when they met.
Ralph said there’s only one way for Richholt to return the favour.
“I said you just live. That’s the greatest thing you can do is live a full, healthy life,” Ralph said. “That’s the only payback.”
Richholt will be closely monitored and remain on medication for the rest of her life to try and prevent organ rejection.
She added that she’s already noticed a significant improvement since the surgery and looks forward to much better days ahead.
“This means I can live my life with my family, my son again. I can drive again. I can get back to my job, friends, family, just everything,” she said.
“I noticed a difference as soon as I woke up from surgery. I no longer feel like someone who is sick with a dying liver. It’s really been remarkable.”
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