Following the successful completion of a liver transplant, Ezra Toczek, who is five years old, has been released from the hospital.
Ezra found out in May that his old preschool teacher, Carissa Fisher, had been chosen as a living donor and may give a bit of her liver to save him. Carissa Fisher had been authorized as a living donor. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic, a living-donor liver transplant takes place when a someone who has a healthy liver gives a piece of their liver to another individual whose liver is no longer functioning effectively.
In addition to having been born with liver abnormalities, Ezra has been battling continuing health issues, which led to his latest diagnosis of end-stage liver disease. In the month of February, he was placed on the transplant list.
When Fisher, age 21, found out about Ezra’s prognosis, he submitted his application to become a live donor in March. She received approval by the month of May, and she promptly informed the Toczek family of the good news.
Both Ezra and Fisher have been released from the hospital after the surgeries that they had in the middle of August. Fisher is now well established in his hometown in Western New York. Following a total of four surgical operations (including the liver transplant and three more procedures) and forty-five days spent in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), Ezra was finally discharged on Friday, September 20.
PEOPLE has received an exclusive statement from Ezra’s mother, Karen Thorpe Toczek, stating that her son will continue to recuperate in a facility located close to the hospital for the next “several weeks.”
She goes on to say that Ezra “had a few post-op complications that kept him in the hospital longer than was initially expected, but his new liver is doing really well!” Karen continues by saying that her kid is “doing well now” and is “slowly gaining his strength back.”
Ezra has “been through a lot, and at times [she] can see the toll it’s taken mentally, but overall, he’s in really good spirits,” she says. She goes on to clarify that “he’s in really good spirits.” After the operation, Ezra is adapting to life after the procedure, which includes “a new medication regimen, follow-up appointments, and blood work,” according to his mother.
According to Karen, the rest of their family has been doing incredibly well at home, and she said, “I’m so proud of my husband and kids.” Karen made this statement to People magazine.
“We have an incredible community of people who are rallying around us to support us through this,” she emphasizes.
According to Karen, Ezra also visited Fisher “a couple of times while she was still recovering in the hospital, and she visited a few more times while she was still in the city for follow-up care.” All of these visits took place while Fisher was still in the city. That they “check in frequently” with Fisher is something that she mentions.
“I can’t wait for Ezra to be home so that I can give him a big hug!” Fisher says for the first time in an exclusive interview with People magazine.
After the operation, Fisher has been “doing pretty good!” since the procedure. She notes that the process of recuperation, particularly with regard to the management of pain, was “more difficult” than she had expected, but that she is “doing a lot better now!” In addition to the “fatigue,” she reports that she is “mostly back to normal,” according to Fisher.
“My liver should be regrowing now, according to the doctors, and I have an appointment for a checkup and an MRI scheduled for November in New York City to determine how much it has regrown and to make sure that everything is in good condition!” According to Fisher. “I am overjoyed to be back at home, where I can spend time with my loved ones and friends!”
The first operation that took place in August was followed by Karen posting updates on her Facebook page and updating the GoFundMe website that her family had created in order to raise money for her son’s transplant.
“While we can’t wait to get home, we are grateful for the absolutely AMAZING team caring for our boy, and we are blessed to be able to stay close during this time,” Karen said on Monday, September 23, via GoFundMe. “We are lucky to be able to stay close through this difficult time.” “We are aware of how important it is for his caregivers to have him remain in this location for the time being. Because of your unwavering support, we are really appreciative. God be blessed!
