“I am forever grateful for my donor angel”
"I am forever grateful for my donor angel"
by Kara Steele
TATER HICKS IS A FIGHTER.
Tater was born prematurely at 25 weeks, which caused numerous health issues. Necrotizing enterocolitis led to intestinal tissue inflammation, so he underwent a bowel resection that left him with 58 centimeters of his small intestine. Tater’s body was not absorbing or digesting food properly, so he was diagnosed with short gut syndrome. That meant he needed total parenteral nutrition and lipids, which he received intravenously. Tater endured a patent ductus arteriosus to correct the abnormal blood flow between his aorta and pulmonary artery. He also had a cricoid split procedure to widen and correct his airways. And he was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease, which left him extremely jaundiced.
Life was not normal for Tater, who lived in the hospital until he was eight months old, and afterward, was hospitalized every month for the next five years. “I remember one week where literally every patient in the NICU passed away except Tater,” Tater’s mom, Narqueisha Johnson, said. “I cried every time someone passed away and couldn’t help but think, ‘Is Tater next?’”
When Tater was three years old, he was placed on the national transplant waiting list for a multi-organ transplant, which was his only hope for survival. His prognosis was very grim. “We got to the point of a doctor telling us it was okay to let him go,” Narqueisha said.
On a Thursday around 7:00 a.m., Narqueisha’s phone rang, and everything changed in an instant. Tater was going to receive the transplant that he so desperately needed! Narqueisha and Tater headed to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and on April 15, 2010, Tater received a life-saving multi-organ transplant. “Right after his transplant, he was giving a thumbs up and a peace sign, which made me feel better because I knew he was going to be okay,” Narqueisha said. “For so long, he was a yellow-black boy, but his color came back almost immediately, and it was just amazing.”
Tater’s newfound health also provided a burst of energy. “That boy was trying to play basketball right after his transplant!” Narqueisha said.
Ironically, the time Tater spent in the hospital during and after his transplant ended up being one of the shortest stays of his life. When Tater returned home in June, he quite literally had nothing holding him back anymore. “My whole life changed,” Tater said. “I went from basically living in the hospital to being able to enjoy life. Not only can I now ride a bike and a hoverboard, but I can simply just walk and run freely without being attached to any tubes, poles, or a backpack full of pumps. I can now eat by mouth, and I love to eat!”
Narqueisha happily makes weekly trips to Sam’s Club to try to keep up with Tater’s appetite. “He didn’t physically eat for about six years, so he’s making up for lost time,” Narqueisha said. Tater’s favorite foods include pizza, Chipotle chicken burrito bowls, bourbon chicken, fried chicken, seafood boils, and corn.
In addition to eating, Tater enjoys playing basketball, skating, dancing, watching sports, playing videogames and making people laugh with his larger-than-life personality. “He has brought joy and laughter into so many lives,” Narqueisha said.
Narqueisha is constantly amazed by Tater, remarking that his quality of life is one thousand times better since his transplant. “He’s able to do everything that we can do,” Narqueisha said. “I’m forever grateful that someone gave him a second chance at life. Organ donation really does save lives, and it changes not only the patient but the family, too.”
Narqueisha wrote a letter to Tater’s donor family, but she has not heard back. “The biggest thing I want to tell them is thank you. Their decision to give the greatest gift made a difference. Their child is still living on in Tater,” Narqueisha said. “Our lives will never be the same, and we are forever grateful and blessed by our donor angel.”
Tater is grateful for his second chance at life. “I’m alive today because someone said ‘yes’ to organ donation. I am forever grateful for my donor angel,” Tater said. “I will shoot to do my very best because that’s the least I can do for my donor.”
Tater and his family volunteer for Life Connection of Ohio, the non-profit organization that serves families and saves lives through organ donation. To learn more about organ donation or to register as a donor, visit lifeconnection.org.
Kara Steele is Director of Community Services for Life Connection of Ohio. ✲
