Make-A-Wish Alum, Leanne Purcell, Encourages You To Help A Child’s Wish Come True
The summer going into Leanne Purcell’s senior year of high school was an amazing time. She spent it at the Jersey Shore, playing basketball and had just completed the SATs. Out of nowhere symptoms started: stomach bloating, yellowish tint to her skin, and extreme fatigue.
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The night before her first day of her senior year of high school, Leanne went to the emergency room in Bryn Mawr. After tests, doctors saw that her liver was enlarged and transferred her to Nemours. Over the course of the next few days, Leanne’s health took a turn and she was in and out of consciousness while they were running test to figure out what was going on.
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Leanne’s diagnoses was acute liver failure. She was a Status 1A patient, which is acute (sudden and severe onset) liver failure and those with 1A status are not likely to live more than a few days without a transplant. Leanne’s best friend, Meghan, who was a junior in college at the time, was a match and donated 40% of her liver. Unfortunately for Leanne there were many complications post-surgery and at one point her body started to reject her new liver. The day before thanksgiving in 2015, after four months in at Nemours, Leanne went home.
When she walked in the door, Leanne saw a Make-A-Wish letter on the counter telling her she would be getting a wish. This was the turning point; it gave Leanne hope for what was about to come. She wanted her family to have a trip and enjoy after month of nights in the hospital. Leanne’s wish was to go to Greece. For the first time in months, thanks to her Wish, Leanne was able to forget about the treatment and be an 18-year-old. The Wish, almost seven years later, still has an incredible impact. It gives her a positive childhood memory in what was a dark time.
It took a few years, but after intense treatments and a long recovery, Leanne Purcell has a clean bill of health. She is a member of the Make-A-Wish young professionals program and wants other kids to have an amazing wish like she did. Please consider donating to the Make-A-Wish Heroes Campaign.
