{"id":19601,"date":"2018-11-21T09:06:08","date_gmt":"2018-11-21T16:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=19601"},"modified":"2023-01-23T09:52:04","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T16:52:04","slug":"two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/","title":{"rendered":"Two liver transplant donors \u2013 one living, one deceased \u2013 save a young life at UCHealth"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Two years ago this month, Eric Rice received a liver transplant at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus (UCH).<\/p>\n

One year ago this month, he received another liver transplant at UCH.<\/p>\n

Rice, 28, is now as healthy as he has ever been.<\/p>\n

\"Eleven
Eleven months after his second liver transplant, Eric Rice is back in the saddle. Photo courtesy Eric Rice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI literally feel like I\u2019m aging in reverse,\u201d Rice says. \u201cThis time last year, I felt like I was an 80-year-old man, and now I feel like I\u2019m 18. It makes me giddy, sometimes, even.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rice does not have two livers. His is a story of courage and generosity among the living and the dead, and a reminder that, as it is so often in this life, success is born of failure.<\/p>\n

In 2012, Rice had recently graduated from Colorado State University when he learned that his bloating, listlessness, jaundice and other worsening health problems probably stemmed from Budd-Chiari syndrome<\/a>. Budd-Chiari can have many causes, but the effect is the same: blood can\u2019t get out of the liver, through which flows the digestive system\u2019s blood en route to the heart. Circulatory backups result, leading to pooling fluids and overstretched veins that leak and even rupture. Lessened blood flow saps energy, as does a diminished ability to turn food into energy. Rice\u2019s liver specialist, UCHealth hepatologist Dr. James Burton<\/a>, worked with the UCHealth\u2019s Transplant Center at University of Colorado Hospital<\/a> team to get Rice on the waitlist for an organ from a deceased donor.<\/p>\n

The wait began. In Colorado only about one in four of those listed for a liver are transplanted within a year. Forty percent wait more than three years, and more than half of them wait for five years or longer. Rice would be among them.<\/p>\n

\"Eric
Eric Rice, who had two liver transplants at UCHealth’s Transplant Center at University of Colorado Hospital, flies high at the Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Lakewood on Oct. 20. Photo courtesy Eric Rice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His health declined. A 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame capable of muscling a motocross bike withered into the 140s. His family worried he might die before a liver arrived. They explored another option: a living-donor liver transplant.<\/p>\n

Good neighbor<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Kidney donations are intuitive: you need one kidney, but have two. So you can give one away. You can\u2019t give away your whole liver. But livers are amazing things. Take away more than half of it and the remaining portion grows back within about a year. The recipient\u2019s portion similarly grows whole once transplanted.<\/p>\n

\"Rice
Eric Rice and Karen Kennedy at the 2018 Donor Dash in July. Photo courtesy Eric Rice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

About 5 percent of liver transplants are from live donors nationally. About 15 percent of the liver transplants at the UCH Transplant Center are from living donors.\u00a0 An additional 10 or so adult-donor surgeries are performed at UCH to be transplanted at Children\u2019s Hospital Colorado, says surgeon Dr. James Pomposelli<\/a>, <\/u>UCHealth\u2019s Director of Liver Transplantation.<\/p>\n

Rice was by then back at his parents\u2019 home in Castle Rock. Two doors down lived Karen Kennedy and her husband Jim. The Kennedys and the Rices were close. Eric and the Kennedys\u2019 son Cole were the same age and pals growing up. Karen, a registered nurse, knew that she had the same blood type as Eric, and that, while the donation would require major surgery, the risks were small.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to know: I would be happy to donate,\u201d she told Eric\u2019s parents.<\/p>\n

There was something else. Two years earlier, Cole, an expert climber, was killed by an ice avalanche in Peru. Now Karen Kennedy saw his childhood friend on a downward spiral and her old friends facing a loss she knew too well.<\/p>\n

Forty-seven tests and weeks later, on Nov. 8, 2016, Kennedy and Rice were wheeled into their operating rooms. UCHealth surgeon Dr. Elizabeth Pomfret<\/a>, the University of Colorado School of Medicine\u2019s chief of transplant surgery, performed Kennedy\u2019s surgery. Pomposelli and Dr. Michael Wachs<\/a>, two of UCH\u2019s most experienced transplant surgeons, teamed up to work on Rice. Kennedy did well, and Rice experienced the striking turnaround transplants bequeath. He felt like his young self again.<\/p>\n

\"A
Dr. James Pomposelli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Relapse<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It didn\u2019t last. The symptoms returned, and within months worsened to the point that he was at UCH twice a week to have fluid trained from his belly and lungs. The simplest of things \u2013breathing \u2013 became a struggle. Infection followed infection. His hair fell out. He shed weight. Burton, the liver specialist, told him he needed another transplant. The doctor was frank: given Rice\u2019s weakened state, he might not survive the surgery. Rice agreed that the risk was worth it. He was physically miserable, and it had seeped into his mental state.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were times when I didn\u2019t want to be living,\u201d Rice recalls. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have minded passing. I was so depressed and down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burton went to work to make sure Rice didn\u2019t die on the waiting list. The case was unique. Rice\u2019s liver, when examined after the first surgery, showed no signs of disease that might lead to Budd-Chiari syndrome. But there was evidence of inflammation in the blood vessels, known as vasculitis. That had presumably caused thick scar tissue to form in the inferior vena cava \u2013 the main pipeline for blood from the lower body back to the heart \u2013 between the liver and the heart.<\/p>\n

Pomposelli and Wachs, with hundreds of liver transplants between them, had never seen anything like it. Nor had Burton, the University of Colorado School of Medicine\u2019s medical director for liver transplant. The surgeons had, during the initial transplant, cut away scar tissue around the vena cava to improve flow. Tests afterward showed that it had worked. Now it appeared that the scar tissue had come back.<\/p>\n

\"A
Dr. Elizabeth Pomfret<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Burton worked with UCHealth surgeons, rheumatologists and other specialists to make the case that vasculitis in that section of the vena cava had indeed been the underlying cause. Strange was that the scarring was limited to just that section of vein. Usually, vasculitis manifests broadly, to be treated with immunosuppressants or even chemotherapy. With Rice, such treatments might not work \u2013 and high-dose chemotherapy could kill him. Burton wrote out his reasoning and petitioned a panel of nine experts on the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network\u2019s regional review board to move Rice up the transplant priority list. In addition to laying out the seriousness of the medical case, Burton reminded them that the first transplant was from a live donor, so Rice wasn\u2019t jumping back in line.<\/p>\n

Also, Rice needed a deceased donor this time. As Pomposelli describes it, the liver \u201csits on the vena cava like a saddle on a horse, and historically, the entire vena cava, with the liver sitting on top of it, was replaced.\u201d Kennedy and other live donors, though, need to keep their vena cavas.<\/p>\n

Burton was persuasive. Less than a month afterward, on Nov. 18, 2017, Pomposelli and Wachs again transplanted Rice, this time with the liver and accompanying vena cava of a 16-year-old boy.<\/p>\n

\u2018Because of them\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A month passed, then two, then three. Rice took pleasure in the simplest of things. \u201cI would wake up, I would shower, and my hair wouldn\u2019t fall out. I would look in the mirror and my eyes were bright white. That would bring me so much joy: to look in the mirror, into clear eyes, and know your body isn\u2019t falling apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. James Burton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Monthly blood tests continued to look good. He moved to an apartment in Denver. He got a job in supply chain management at Arrow Electronics. He\u2019s got a girlfriend; he\u2019s back on his dirt bike. He is grateful \u2013 to the doctors, nurses and staff at UCHealth; to Karen Kennedy; to the boy whom he thinks about every day.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Michael Wachs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cEvery time I accomplish something great at work it\u2019s because of Karen and my donor. And every time I go out and have a great time riding or have a great weekend, it\u2019s because of them,\u201d Rice says. \u201cI\u2019ve never had more fun than I\u2019m having right now, and I wouldn\u2019t be doing it if I hadn\u2019t received the gift of life from these two generous people and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennedy says she\u2019s thrilled that he\u2019s doing so well. And besides taking an over-the-counter antacid every other day, her life hasn\u2019t changed a bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told Eric I won\u2019t be able to be a bikini model anymore, but I wasn\u2019t doing that either way,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

It took both donors \u2013 one very much alive, one gone far too soon \u2013 to save a life.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe got to where he is today through that first liver transplant, and if he didn\u2019t have that, I don\u2019t know where he\u2019d be,\u201d Burton says. \u201cHe had to go through those steps to get to where he is today.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two years ago this month, Eric Rice received a liver transplant at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus (UCH). One year ago this month, he received another liver transplant at UCH. Rice, 28, is now as healthy as he has ever been. \u201cI literally feel like I\u2019m aging in reverse,\u201d Rice […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":19603,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[38,2773,3231,39],"class_list":["post-19601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-innovative-care","tag-liver-transplant","tag-living-liver-donation","tag-living-organ-donation","tag-transplant-services"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOne living & one deceased liver donors save a young life at UCHealth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Eric Rice had not one but two liver transplants at UCHealth's Transplant Center at the University of Colorado Hospital and is back on his motocross bike.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Two liver transplant donors \u2013 one living, one deceased \u2013 save a young life at UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Eric Rice had not one but two liver transplants at UCHealth's Transplant Center at the University of Colorado Hospital and is back on his motocross bike.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-11-21T16:06:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-01-23T16:52:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/11\/21085450\/EXT_11XX18-EricRiceBike.jpgeee-e1543529538483.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Todd Neff, for UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Todd Neff, for UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Todd Neff, for UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/da7733ff5562e48e55c027d111ee5911\"},\"headline\":\"Two liver transplant donors \u2013 one living, one deceased \u2013 save a young life at UCHealth\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-21T16:06:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-01-23T16:52:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1572,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2018\\\/11\\\/21085450\\\/EXT_11XX18-EricRiceBike.jpgeee-e1543529538483.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"liver transplant\",\"Living liver donation\",\"Living organ donation\",\"Transplant services\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Innovative care\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/\",\"name\":\"One living & one deceased liver donors save a young life at UCHealth\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2018\\\/11\\\/21085450\\\/EXT_11XX18-EricRiceBike.jpgeee-e1543529538483.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-21T16:06:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-01-23T16:52:04+00:00\",\"description\":\"Eric Rice had not one but two liver transplants at UCHealth's Transplant Center at the University of Colorado Hospital and is back on his motocross bike.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2018\\\/11\\\/21085450\\\/EXT_11XX18-EricRiceBike.jpgeee-e1543529538483.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2018\\\/11\\\/21085450\\\/EXT_11XX18-EricRiceBike.jpgeee-e1543529538483.webp\",\"width\":954,\"height\":702,\"caption\":\"Eleven months after his second liver transplant, Eric Rice is back in the saddle. Photo courtesy Eric Rice.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Two liver transplant donors \u2013 one living, one deceased \u2013 save a young life at UCHealth\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"name\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"description\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UCHealth\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"UCHealth\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/uchealth\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/uchealth\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/14839\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/da7733ff5562e48e55c027d111ee5911\",\"name\":\"Todd Neff, for UCHealth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ba17a8f1358d39c104ff6cb59da7fe21b9bfc792948447c3ac964e93b37aa49f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ba17a8f1358d39c104ff6cb59da7fe21b9bfc792948447c3ac964e93b37aa49f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ba17a8f1358d39c104ff6cb59da7fe21b9bfc792948447c3ac964e93b37aa49f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Todd Neff, for UCHealth\"},\"description\":\"Todd Neff has written hundreds of stories for University of Colorado Hospital and UCHealth. He covered science and the environment for the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado, and has taught narrative nonfiction at the University of Colorado, where he was a Ted Scripps Fellowship recipient in Environmental Journalism. He is author of \u201cA Beard Cut Short,\u201d a biography of a remarkable professor; \u201cThe Laser That\u2019s Changing the World,\u201d a history of lidar; and \u201cFrom Jars to the Stars,\u201d a history of Ball Aerospace.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/author\\\/tneff\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"One living & one deceased liver donors save a young life at UCHealth","description":"Eric Rice had not one but two liver transplants at UCHealth's Transplant Center at the University of Colorado Hospital and is back on his motocross bike.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Two liver transplant donors \u2013 one living, one deceased \u2013 save a young life at UCHealth","og_description":"Eric Rice had not one but two liver transplants at UCHealth's Transplant Center at the University of Colorado Hospital and is back on his motocross bike.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/","og_site_name":"UCHealth Today","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","article_published_time":"2018-11-21T16:06:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-01-23T16:52:04+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/11\/21085450\/EXT_11XX18-EricRiceBike.jpgeee-e1543529538483.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Todd Neff, for UCHealth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uchealth","twitter_site":"@uchealth","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Todd Neff, for UCHealth","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/"},"author":{"name":"Todd Neff, for UCHealth","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/da7733ff5562e48e55c027d111ee5911"},"headline":"Two liver transplant donors \u2013 one living, one deceased \u2013 save a young life at UCHealth","datePublished":"2018-11-21T16:06:08+00:00","dateModified":"2023-01-23T16:52:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/"},"wordCount":1572,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/11\/21085450\/EXT_11XX18-EricRiceBike.jpgeee-e1543529538483.webp","keywords":["liver transplant","Living liver donation","Living organ donation","Transplant services"],"articleSection":["Innovative care"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/","name":"One living & one deceased liver donors save a young life at UCHealth","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/11\/21085450\/EXT_11XX18-EricRiceBike.jpgeee-e1543529538483.webp","datePublished":"2018-11-21T16:06:08+00:00","dateModified":"2023-01-23T16:52:04+00:00","description":"Eric Rice had not one but two liver transplants at UCHealth's Transplant Center at the University of Colorado Hospital and is back on his motocross bike.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/11\/21085450\/EXT_11XX18-EricRiceBike.jpgeee-e1543529538483.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/11\/21085450\/EXT_11XX18-EricRiceBike.jpgeee-e1543529538483.webp","width":954,"height":702,"caption":"Eleven months after his second liver transplant, Eric Rice is back in the saddle. Photo courtesy Eric Rice."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/two-liver-transplant-donors-one-living-one-deceased-save-a-young-life-at-uchealth\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Two liver transplant donors \u2013 one living, one deceased \u2013 save a young life at UCHealth"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","name":"UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth Today","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization","name":"UCHealth","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"UCHealth"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/da7733ff5562e48e55c027d111ee5911","name":"Todd Neff, for UCHealth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ba17a8f1358d39c104ff6cb59da7fe21b9bfc792948447c3ac964e93b37aa49f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ba17a8f1358d39c104ff6cb59da7fe21b9bfc792948447c3ac964e93b37aa49f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ba17a8f1358d39c104ff6cb59da7fe21b9bfc792948447c3ac964e93b37aa49f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Todd Neff, for UCHealth"},"description":"Todd Neff has written hundreds of stories for University of Colorado Hospital and UCHealth. He covered science and the environment for the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado, and has taught narrative nonfiction at the University of Colorado, where he was a Ted Scripps Fellowship recipient in Environmental Journalism. He is author of \u201cA Beard Cut Short,\u201d a biography of a remarkable professor; \u201cThe Laser That\u2019s Changing the World,\u201d a history of lidar; and \u201cFrom Jars to the Stars,\u201d a history of Ball Aerospace.","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/tneff\/"}]}},"coauthors":[{"id":23,"name":"Todd Neff","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/tneff\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19601"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67912,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19601\/revisions\/67912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}