Long road home after transplant

It took nearly a year, but Tony Pasquino finally got a new liver.

Tony, now 17, suffers from cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease that causes the exocrine glands of the lungs, liver, pancreas and intestines to produce a thick mucus that inhibits lung function and invites bacterial infection. He was the subject of a Post and Courier feature last year.

Five years ago, Tony was diagnosed with liver disease. By last spring, the cirrhosis was so bad, it qualified him for the transplant list. One of more than 16,000 in the U.S. waiting for a new liver, Tony got the call late last month.

His mother, Robyn, had asked a local pilot with a private plane to remain on standby. When the Pittsburgh Children's Hospital (which specializes in organ transplants and cystic fibrosis cases) notified the Summerville family that a 17-year-old girl had died in an auto accident on April 25, Robyn and Tony flew to the hospital in a hurry, according to family and friends. Surgery was early the next day.

A month before, Tony had his enlarged spleen removed. The surgery went well, though his lungs collapsed, his mother wrote in an e-mail. A healthy human spleen is 3 to 5 inches long and weighs half a pound. Tony's spleen weighed 10 pounds.

The liver transplant required an enormous, cross-sectional incision. The procedure is very complicated, doctors say. A major artery must be connected. Since the April 26 surgery, Tony has been recovering slowly, Robyn Pasquino said. He has endured terrible pain, worsened by coughing, and remained sedated. His blood-sugar levels fluxuate, requiring insulin. By May 12, he was eating a little gelatin and walking around.

"Today was a corner!" Robyn Pasquino wrote in her blog post. "He walked to the sunroom, ... ate a whole grilled cheese sandwich, and played on the computer! His pain much less. His spirits a bit better. He even laughed with the doctor today. First time I have seen him laugh since surgery."

Tony is expected to be released from the hospital soon, but he will remain in Pittsburgh for about three months for therapy and regular checkups, according to family friend Mary Ann Ridenour.

Ridenour and other friends and neighbors helped raise about $100,000 to cover medical costs. Insurance won't pay for living expenses, so Robyn Pasquino will use donated funds. "Now all she has to do is find a place and settle in," Ridenour said.

Reach Adam Parker at 937-5902 or aparker@postand courier.com.