Young Man Celebrates Life-Saving Surgery

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Young Man Celebrates Life-Saving Surgery

POSTED: 9:04 pm CDT July 27, 2007

UPDATED: 5:59 pm CDT July 28, 2007

OMAHA, Neb. -- He has a huge smile, lined with braces, and when he talks about playing football or any sport, his face lights up and his voice gets animated. -Dennis missed just one day of school in his life. But he never missed taking a moment to thank the people who gave him a chance to live. "I just want to say thank you. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here," the 21-year-old told Dr. Byers Shaw, chief of surgery at The University of Nebraska Medical Center. Shaw insisted there was no need to thank him

The two got together on Friday for a transplant anniversary party. They were joined by the same nurse who took care of -Dennis in 1986. Laurie -Solanen still works with Shaw. -Dennis and his father, Moses Dennis, made the trip from Minnesota this week to celebrate 's successful liver transplant 21 years ago. He was the smallest, youngest, transplant patient in the country at the time, just two weeks old. His family spent six months in Omaha while recovered and fought through complications. "You're pretty tall," said the young man as he sized up the surgeon who gave him a second chance so many years ago. "So are you!" replied Shaw, who remembered the tiny infant on whom he once performed surgery. This weekend, the liver transplant patient will join 600 others in Omaha as they celebrate the second chance they received at the Nebraska Medical Center. Shaw said he's enjoyed watching grow over the years. But when he did the surgery, 21 years ago, he never dwelled on whether the newborn would grow into a man. "I think you're thinking I want this baby to be 4 days older than today, and then 4 weeks older, and 4 years older, " Shaw said. Transplant outcomes have improved greatly over the last 20 years, with better medications, attention to overall lifestyle and greater expertise. Liver transplant patients at The Nebraska Medical Center have an 85 to 95 percent survival rate after one year, compared to organ rejections close to 65 percent in the early 1980s. Shaw said there's great optimism that if transplant patients can survive that first year, they can live long and healthy lives. Since the liver transplant program began in 1985, more than 2,330 liver transplants have been performed at The Nebraska Medical Center. "There were several people here who thought maybe you couldn't do it. But Dr. Shaw, who's our hero, said 'Sure, if he's stable, we'll try it,' " said 's father. -Dennis lives in Minnesota, where he works in child care and coaches basketball. He plans to move into his own apartment soon. His father looks back at 's early days with a sense of humor. "I always tell and the boys, if I'd known it was going to turn out this good, I wouldn't have lost all my hair, worrying about you," he laughed. is bald and has been for a long time. Shaw and -Dennis said the need for organs always outpaces the number of people on waiting lists. They encourage families to talk about organ donation and said there's a particular need for African-American donors.

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