Girl who received half of liver from dad passes
Three weeks after her father Nicholas Harris risked his life and gave her half of his liver, 18-year-old Dijonay “DJ” Harris passed away due to complications.
Dijonay died at at hospital on Tuesday, September 20.
Her aunt, Stacyann McFarlane Francis, shared the devastating news with OBSERVER ONLINE.
“My heart is broken,” said Francis, who first reached out to the Jamaica Observer in February 2022 to spread awareness, with faith high that they would be able to raise enough money to fund the transplant.
Dijonay was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver – a late-stage liver disease in which the healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue and the liver is permanently damaged. Scar tissue keeps the liver from working properly.
Her father was a perfect match and donated half his liver to save her life in August.
READ: Dad gives child half his liver
Just last Saturday, he told the Sunday Observer: “The pain that I am feeling is excruciating. It is extreme. But I am just hoping that it wasn’t for nothing. I am just hoping to save her life at this point. If this is what I have to do to give her a chance, that’s it.”