Reece's Liver Transplant Journey

Please register to become an organ donor: https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today ? I want to preface this video by saying that this is more about Reece’s liver disease progression (he had primary sclerosing cholangitis) and transplant journey from my perspective, as filming these videos functioned as a bit of a journal for me and was incredibly cathartic. Reece generally prefers to be off-camera. Then, coupled with the gruelling recovery after his transplant, I wasn’t going to film in those situations unless he wanted to provide an update. I also did most of the talking because he’s not comfortable in front of a camera like I am. I just wanted to get that out there, as I didn’t want it to seem like I was making the whole journey about myself. But on that note, I don't want to dismiss or minimise the weight that carers carry, too - because it's a lot. The last few years have been traumatising for both of us but have brought us even closer together (who knew that was possible!). And now that the hardest part is over, we can both look back with an overwhelming amount of gratitude. Gratitude for the donor (who, just thinking about, brings me to tears) - for the incredible gift of life they gave to Reece. Every new memory I make with him is because of that person. We can't put our gratitude into words. To the donor’s family, who were experiencing the worst moment of their lives - losing their loved one - while we were experiencing one of the best, with Reece getting a second chance at life. The reality of someone’s tragic loss resulting in Reece’s overwhelming gain is a really complex feeling, which he’s still processing. To the incredible surgeons who operated on him for over 12 hours. To the countless invaluable doctors and specialists from (what felt like) every single department who provided him with the best care we could have asked for. To the beautiful, hard-working nurses who started to feel like family by the end. To my dear mum, for looking after anxious little Mia every day for several weeks while I stayed with Reece in hospital. And to our healthcare system - which has paid for all of Reece’s hospitalisations, emergency flights, many medications, and, of course, his transplant surgery. Nobody likes paying taxes, but knowing that this level and quality of care is what they go towards makes it a smaller pill to swallow (pun intended). Anyway, thanks for watching and/or reading, and for all of your genuine love and support over the years. It really does help, and we both appreciate it so much. ❤️