ORGAN TRANSPLANTS Teralynn again awaits new liver and kidneys

ORGAN TRANSPLANTS Teralynn again awaits new liver and kidneys

Teralynn remains on the top of the donor list at the Cleveland Clinic for her weight class.

By ANGIE SCHMITT

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Teralynn Landis McGath's young life has been full of ups and downs.

Diagnosed at 2 months old with a fatal liver disease called tyrosinemia, she underwent three liver transplants before her fourth birthday.

Against all odds, Teralynn survived, defying her doctor's terminal prognosis and becoming the youngest Mahoning Valley resident to undergo an organ transplant.

In October 2006, the 22-year-old was married before a joyful mother and father.

Now her story has taken another turn. She received word in July that both her liver and kidneys are in need of replacement.

After 19 years of use, her liver has succumbed to sclerosis, a form of scarring common in transplant patients. Meanwhile, her kidneys have suffered irreparable damage from anti-organ-rejection medication, according to her mother, Kathy Landis.

"She's been real sick," her mother said. "This whole year she's been in and out of hospitals