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Family searching for donors as son is diagnosed with rare liver disorder

<i>WJZ via CNN Newsource</i><br/>A Severn family is asking for your help as their son
Willingham, James
WJZ via CNN Newsource
A Severn family is asking for your help as their son

By Alex Glaze

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A Severn family is asking for your help as their son, who is battling a rare liver disorder, continues to search for a liver donor.

It all started with routine blood work at an annual physical.

“There’s, like, physically nothing wrong with me, so I assumed they’re going to be fine, the numbers are going to be fine,” said Harvir Ghuman.

The numbers weren’t fine. Havir’s Ghuman’s liver enzyme numbers were high. After a number of tests, a team of doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital determined he had a rare liver disorder, so rare his father says it doesn’t have a name.

Doctors told Havir he needs a liver transplant.

“I was kind of surprised because I should have noticed by now, right? But there’s nothing wrong with me so at first, I was like how bad is it, you know,” said Harvir.

Havir’s parents, who are not a match and unable to donate, are helpless.

“You want to make sure that your child is okay. February 9th, when we found out, it was a shock,” Parminder Ghuman, Harvir’s father said.

Now the Ghuman family waits. Harvir is on the waiting list for a new liver, but doctors say he needs a transplant sooner rather than later.

“What he has, they’re not sure when it could turn to malignant, so they would like to get it done,” Mr.Ghuman explained.

The threat of cancer is very real. The Ghumans have gone to family and friends to see if anyone is a match, but so far, no luck. Now they are reaching out to people in the community for help as they wait for that life-saving phone call.

“Your most important phone call of your life, you’re waiting for Johns Hopkins to say that we found someone, or we have a deceased donor so come on in and have the surgery,” Mr.Ghuman said.

“It’s very hard for us, for both of us. Every day we are just waiting that we may get a call, but we don’t,” Sandeep Ghuman, Harvir’s mother, said.

As they wait for that call, the family says all they can do is pray.

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