Because of a life-saving liver transplant, Maren Grace Foster, was able to celebrate her 4th birthday on June 24th, 2017.

Maren was born 6 weeks and 6 days early and spent the first 16 days of her life in the NICU. Other than being premature, at first, it didn’t seem to doctors that Maren had any health problems. But when the jaundice that’s common among newborns, did not resolve itself, Maren underwent a liver biopsy which confirmed that she had biliary atresia, is a disease of the bile ducts that affects only infants. Not even a year old, Maren was placed on the national transplant waiting list. Within weeks, Maren’s parents received the call that a liver was available for Maren. Eight weeks post-transplant, her family was able to take their baby home from the hospital.

“It was like bringing her home for the first time!” says her father, Travis. “Today she’s unstoppable from the time her feet hit the floor in the morning.”

The Fosters have been fortunate to have been able to meet their donor family. According to Foster, that moment was one of the most significant in his life.

“This has changed our lives forever and we are so thankful for Maren’s second chance of life,” he says.