WATERFORD, Wis. — Ten-month-old Westen Hagen needs a liver transplant, and his family is searching for a matching donor.
Westen has Alagille syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that primarily affects his liver. His parents are encouraging people to consider organ donation.
"Westen is just joyful, playful, he's got the biggest smile," said his mom, Crystal Hagen.
Watch the video report here:
Crystal calls Westen her miracle baby.
"We were trying for quite some time. We did have some infertility appointments and we had a miscarriage in between," Crystal said. She also has a daughter who is about seven years old.
At a checkup when Westen was about six weeks old, his doctor noticed his jaundice hadn't gone away.
"They did bloodwork and it was kind of the same thing of, 'Oh no, pack your bags and come to the hospital now. We don't know what is going on, but it is not good,'" said Westen's dad, Taylor Hagen.
The family later learned Westen has Alagille syndrome.
"It's a fight I wish I could take from him," Crystal said.
"His body is just not absorbing anything that it needs to, his body is not processing the way it needs to," Crystal said. "A lot of symptoms that come with that is intense itching, all the time. That’s probably the most painful thing to see, is watching him not be able to feel comfortable."
Now, Westen needs a liver transplant. His family doesn't meet the requirements to be living donors, so they're searching for a donation from either a deceased or living donor.
"Just encouraging people wanting to be able to donate to check that box, it's a simple checkmark but it could save someone's life someday," Taylor said.
A living donor can donate a portion of their liver, which can regenerate after surgery.
"That is just amazing to see that someone can watch him grow part of their liver and watch him flourish in this life that he deserves to have," Crystal said.
Westen's family is hoping to find a match.
"Gosh, to get that phone call, I'm just waiting for it," Crystal said. "I don't know if I would ever be able to thank someone the way I would want to thank them for that liver."
Information about Westen's donor requirements is available here, and a donor evaluation form can be filled out here.
Extended family members are organizing a fundraiser for Westen starting at 1 p.m. on November 14 at Knights of Columbus in South Milwaukee. The fundraiser will include a silent auction, meat raffles, a BBQ food truck, activities for kids, and more. Westen's dad says the money will go into his COTA fund which is used for transplant-related expenses.
——————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
