Father Donates Part of His Liver After Son is Diagnosed With Life Threatening Genetic Disorder

A birthday is a celebration of life—and for one New York family, it was that and more. Brian, a father to one-year-old Benjamin, donated part of his liver to save his life. It just happened to be Brian’s birthday.

Father Donates Part of Liver to Infant Son on His Birthday

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Instead of one, the family got to celebrate two lives that day.

Days after Benjamin was born, he had to be rushed to the PICU because his ammonia levels were too high. The infant soon had to be put on dialysis. His parents were completely shocked and saddened when he was diagnosed with ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, a rare metabolic disorder that causes life-threatening spikes in ammonia.

His parents were told a crisis could happen at any moment in Benjamin’s young life.

Son’s Life was ‘A Ticking Time Bomb’

"In our minds, Benjamin felt like a ticking time bomb," Brian says. "We became obsessed with learning everything we could about OTC deficiency."

The only cure was a liver transplant, but Benjamin would need to get bigger in order to undergo an operation.

Once Brian realized that the best thing for his son was a living donor, he knew he had to donate.

The date of his procedure fell on Brian’s birthday, Aug. 18, 2025.

Dad, 28, Makes Ultimate Birthday Sacrifice to Save His Baby Son’s Life: ‘Felt Like a Ticking Time Bomb’ (Exclusive) https://t.co/ri5lTNKDgp

— People (@people) June 28, 2026

"At that time, all I cared about was making sure Benjamin had the best chance at a healthy life," he says. "But when we were told the date of the surgery, we were shocked by the coincidence."

An Emotional Operation Day

It was so hard for Brian to say goodbye to his son, knowing that he’d have a major operation before he went to get operated on himself.

He wanted to kiss his girlfriend, Karla, and Benjamin one more time before he got wheeled away, but he felt he didn’t have enough emotional strength.

The last thing he said before he went under anesthesia was a request to the surgeon to take good care of his baby. And the first thing he did when he woke up was ask if his son was okay.

From Tears of Fear to Tears of Joy

The next day, Brian went to Benjamin’s hospital room, where the surgeon helped him hold his son’s hand. Once he did, he began to cry.

Now, he and his son are both happy and healthy. Seeing his son smile lights up his day. Brian knows he would do anything for his son—including many more transplants if needed.

When the couple thinks about their journey, they went from tears of fear to tears of happiness.

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Brian is an advocate for live donation, especially since the success rates for these kinds of procedures are higher. For anyone in the same situation, it’s worth considering, he says.

It’s incredible that Brian and Benjamin went through a journey like this together. Little Benjamin will grow up knowing he is deeply loved by his mommy and daddy. 

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h/t: People

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Michaela Gordoni is an avid reader and part-time globe-trotter. With a bachelor's degree in International Relations and experience in the non-profit world, she has a passion for people and reporting. You can check out her portfolio here.