The clock is ticking for a little girl who needs a liver transplant

For 8-month-old Violet Olvera, life has been an uphill battle since day one. A mere 24 hours after entering the world, she faced her first surgery. Since then, she has grappled with persistent intestinal issues and difficulty digesting food. Now, Violet has received a diagnosis of biliary atresia, a serious disease where the bile ducts become inflamed and blocked.

Dr. Naveen Mittal, Violet’s hepatologist and liver specialist with the University Health Transplant Institute, said the little girl from the Rio Grande Valley is already showing signs of liver failure. She will need a liver transplant to survive.

"This is a nice family in a very dire situation,” Mittal told KRGV television for a recent story. “The clock is ticking. Once the liver fails, there’s no way to sustain life."

When it comes to Violet's liver transplant, a living donor is an even better option than a deceased donor, because it could lead to a transplant sooner.

The Transplant Institute’s Champion for Life program is supporting an effort in which Violet’s family reaches out through social media and other networks to tell the little girl’s story. The program also helps to educate potential donors about the living donation process.

In the case of liver transplantation, the compatible donor provides a portion of their liver to the patient. The donor's liver regenerates to its full size and function while the portion of the liver given to the patient becomes a full-functioning organ.