DONOR | Dale's Story

Dale Withrow

LIVING Liver DONOR NEEDED

ASL - My Liver Transplant Journey: A Call for Hope, a Gift of Life

Hi, I’m Dale Withrow, and if you ask my friends, they’ll tell you I like to be the center of attention—a social butterfly, and yes, a bit of a diva! But six months ago, my world changed in an instant.
It all started on July 6, 2024, with a routine ultrasound. I wasn’t expecting anything unusual, but the results showed a 5 cm mass in my liver—about the size of a lime. After weeks of scans, labs, and procedures, the diagnosis came on September 27: HCC - Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Liver cancer.
I couldn’t believe it. I have no family history of liver disease, don’t drink, and have never engaged in risky behaviors. This diagnosis came out of nowhere. But here I am, facing it head-on with a treatment plan.

The goal is two-fold: first, a procedure called TACE (Transarterial Chemoembolization) to shrink and kill the cancer cells. This is a “bridge to transplant.” Second, a full liver removal—the ultimate solution.
On November 25, I was officially added to the Liver Transplant Waiting List. With a MELD score of 8 out of 40. I’m still healthy and strong, which is why getting a transplant as soon as possible is so critical.
Of course, this hasn’t been easy. Staying home to protect my health and my family has been one of the hardest parts. Wearing masks and limiting crowded outings is a real challenge. I want to be more involved in Pickleball with my friends but need to wait for warmer weather to play outside rather than indoor.

But there’s a silver lining: I’ve seen what a transplant can do. I remember in 2008; my son received a heart transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital. That gave him 13 extra years with us—13 years of laughter, love, and memories. Now, I’m my turn hoping for my own miracle. I dream of living another 30 years to see my wife, my 5 children, and their families grow.

I know it’s a big ASK to consider becoming a living donor, but it’s also one of the selfless and life-changing gifts you can give. If my story touches your heart, I’d love for you to reach out to Johns Hopkins Hospital to learn more. Share freely this story with others. Your generosity could help me write the next chapter of my life.

START YOUR JOURNEY

Become Dale Withrow's Donor

If you are considering being a living donor please use links below to contact Dale Withrow's Transplant Center. Begin by completing the donor questionnaire

Fill Out DONOR Questionnaire
(INQUIRES ARE 100% CONFIDENTIAL)

Becoming a Liver DONOR Find a Transplant Center near you

Johns Hopkins Hospital

1800 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD, 21287

(410) 614-2989 Email Transplant Center

Did you know?

Medical expenses for living organ donors are 100% covered, and inquires from potential donors are 100% confidential! Contact the Transplant Center to learn more about living donation.

More Donor FAQs

Share the Importance of Living Donation

Liver transplantation has been a successful treatment and standard of care for end-stage liver disease since the early 1980s.

Technical advancements in liver surgery, as well as the liver's tremendous ability to regenerate, have made living donor liver transplantation a life-saving reality.

There are currently 120,000 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant in the U.S. Of these, 15,000 await liver transplants.

Although more than 6,000 liver transplants were performed last year, over 1,700 patients died while waiting on the list.

Deceased donor livers are allocated to patients based on how sick they are, determined by their MELD score, where sicker patients receive priority.

Living donation offers patients the option of transplant before they get very sick--regardless of MELD score--significantly decreasing the time they wait for a liver.

Living donation not only saves the life of the recipient; it also frees up a liver for a patient on the waiting list who does not have that option.

The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease (PELD) are numerical, objective scales that allocate available livers to the sickest patients. Patients move up the list as their scores increase.

The first living donor liver transplant took place in 1988. Since then, living donors have continued giving the gift of life and making a difference.

When a recipient has a living donor, the wait time for transplant is shorter and the transplant can be scheduled in advanced when the recipient is in good health and when it is convenient for both the donor and the recipient.

Financial burdens shouldn’t prevent the gift of life. The National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) can offer financial support for living donor travel expenses.

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