Dano's Liver Journey

🚨REMINDER!🚨

Our first ever “Dano Day” is this Saturday! Come out to the Edmonton Soccer Dome () at 1:30 to enjoy some great footy, great company, and honour the life and legacy of Daniel Drummond. See you there! 🤍⚽️

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🚨REMINDER!🚨

Our first ever “Dano Day” is this Saturday! Come out to the Edmonton Soccer Dome () at 1:30 to enjoy some great footy, great company, and honour the life and legacy of Daniel Drummond. See you there! 🤍⚽️

We hope that people who love Daniel will find comfort in visiting his profile to remember and celebrate his life.

It is with profound sadness and sorrow that the family of Daniel (Dano) Drummond announce his passing at the age of 37 after a courageous battle with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC).

Above all, Dano's loved ones will forever cherish him as an exceptional father, devoted husband, and compassionate family-oriented man. Due to his compassion and kindness, he had a natural gift for connecting with people, and an intuitive knack for inspiring and uplifting those he encountered. He loved all sports, particularly soccer, a sport he excelled at. He was widely known and loved by those in the soccer community, where he played soccer all his life and coached for the past decade.

**Please follow the link for the full obituary and details of the celebration of life.
https://pointewestfuneral.com/obituary/drummond-daniel-ross/

I have struggled to make a post in the hope I could share something positive, new, or uplifting. I have had a constant physical and mental battle while waiting for my 2nd transplant. It is difficult to put into words the mental challenge of facing the same physical issues every day while not knowing if or when a donor may become available.

The news my family and I have been hoping for came today, on Father's Day, and what a gift. I was called and notified that there is a potential donor, and the transplant is scheduled for tomorrow. Getting "The Call" is overwhelming as it's the moment I have hoped and believed that my life can be saved from a donor (someone who I am very grateful to for them and their family)

Tomorrow marks exactly 9 months from my first transplant from my living donor (Fergal), and without him, I don't know where I would be. 💚

The next phase of my journey is only now getting started, and things will be more complicated, but I have a lot more Father's days to show up to for my kids and my amazing wife!

Happy Father's Day to my dad and to all the dads out there! Embrace every moment you can. Life is precious




.partners

~Update Feb/March ~

The picture above is Dr. Thomas Starzl, who performed the first ever liver transplant in 1963! Amazing how far things have come, while some countries have just attempted their first ever liver transplant within the past 2 years!

This update has been tough for me to share. In January, Lindsay & I met with the surgical team, who first notified us that there was not going to be a way back from my first transplant due to the complications and ongoing issues with the bile ducts. On January 19th, 4 months, exactly since my first transplant, we got the go-ahead that I am officially relisted and am now awaiting that all important call for a deceased donor. For many friends wondering, I am high on the list, but due to my first transplant I am needing a smaller donor due to the size and change of my anatomy.

My first call was to Fergal, and in his usual fashion, he simply said, "we're good, and we need to get you a new liver." Without many words needed, my family is so grateful to him and his family and what he did to get me to this point. ❤️

In October, I was fearful of this nagging idea of what if the complications don't stop, and my small doubt crept into what would be my worst nightmare. Now that I am here, I have one objective to overcome this mountain and fight as it's my only way out to getting back to some resemblance of my old self!

Please take the time to learn and opt into becoming an organ donor. You really can not plan for everything, and for me, someone's tragedy will be my only hope for a chance to live. 💚

partners

~2023 Update~

Dano, unfortunately, has been in hospital for another 10 days as he had another infection within his liver, we are glad we caught it early as these can always become really serious quite quickly.

Within his stay, Dano had another ERCP procedure to attempt to unblock the bile duct through his drainage site, but the stricture is so tight that doctors were unable to do so. While being out for the procedure, Dano was on his left side, and a compressed nerve has led to him unable to use his hand, hence the new splint! Time and rehab should be able to take care of it.

He is hopeful of being discharged soon and able to manage the pain and dis comfort from the procedure at home.

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~Last Update for 2022~

About three weeks ago, I had to have an ERCP, which is when doctors are able to enter your bile ducts through the mouth and place balloons into your bile duct to allow for them to properly function. Unfortunately, that was unsuccessful as there was a main blockage that they couldn't get past.

The following week I was in hospital until the Dec 23rd and had a procedure where they enter through the skin and insert a drain (pictured above) to help with draining of bile from the liver but this was unsuccessful due to the bloackge. I was lucky enough to get home to have Christmas with my family, which was really special this year more than any other!

I am currently at the hospital for the 3rd attempt of the PTC drain, but guess what.....unsuccessful due to this blockage. I now need to wait 4 to 6 weeks with this drain, and doctors are currently coming up with an alternative method to solve this issue.

The pain is pretty intense, and I hope it subsides over the coming weeks.

Happy New Year. Be thankful for your health, if anything, this year!

.partners 💚

Strength, Hope & Faith. These are three words on a wristband that I probably have struggled with one time or another over the last 2.5 months. To say my transplant journey has been difficult is an understatement and the challenges and issues that have come post transplant seem to be never ending. I am currently back in the hospital with an infection of my bile ducts, which I have been admitted with twice in the month of November.

When I was able to be discharged in October, it was not the great celebration and joy we had hoped for. Rather it was a wait and see approach to see if my liver would be able to overcome this ischemic injury it has endured. I had weeks after being discharged that I was unable to go home, be mobile or climb up stairs. My family has handled everything and we're so grateful to the many wonderful friends and families stopping by with a meal or checking in. Since my last discharge early November, I started to gain some strength and mobility and finally, was able to be mobile enough not to use my walker. I was hopeful that I would make a post with alot of positives and celebrate this new life, but this journey will be long, complicated and definitely a challenge for me and my family.

Merry Christmas and enjoy every moment the holidays has in store for you and your loved ones!

💚 .partners 💚

Thankful for this little girl showing me how to be strong & brave!! 💚❤️💚

*2.5 Week Post Op Update*

The last 2.5 weeks have been harder, longer and more complicated than we ever expected.

First of all there’s the physical toll from a massive surgery with a big painful incision. Having IV lines and tubes from every part of your body truly makes you feel that you are not in your own body.

Then there’s the rehab from months on months of being de conditioned and losing weight and muscle mass pre and post transplant. Practicing walking with a walker, doing stairs and trying to regain any form of strength is a massive battle each day.

Lasty, there’s a big question: **How well the new liver is working?** To answer this question I have had drains, ultrasounds, MRI and a biopsy - along with daily labs - to assess how it is functioning. So far, we know it is not yet working adequately and will take several months. There was an ischemic injury to the liver at some point in time which has caused aome uncertainty. I am currently still in the hospital and won't be discharged until the doctors see a trend in the right direction with my liver numbers.

At this point, we’ve been told all we can do is continue to wait and hope to see the function improve. The alternative to that not happening is my worst case scenario: needing another transplant.

PSC Partners Seeking a Cure PSC Support Donate Life America Canadian Blood Services

There are times that words truly cannot do justice to how someone may feel or the gratitude that they have. This is Fergal Peters and his wonderful family who made the decision to selflessly be my living donor and save my life. Fergal was my high school teacher and as many former students will attest, someone who connected well with his students. Fast forward almost 20 years and we reconnected over the past couple years with his daughter playing soccer in Sherwood Park.

As the testing progressed and became more real, Fergal never waivered and felt that he was meant to save me. Sitting in the hospital thinking what someone chose to do in order to save me is overwhelming and is truly hard to grasp. My entire family is eternally grateful to Fergal and his loved ones. I now have a soft spot for the KC Chiefs and the Irish!

Feel free to write a comment, memory or reach out to his wife Julia so Fergal can start to recognize what a wonderful gift he has given me and my family! 💚

.partners .drummond

Tough to say goodbye to these munchkins! Thank you to for the great gift for Caelynn! 💚

~Did You Know~ Walter Payton hailed as one of the best ever football players of all time was diagnosed with PSC. He sadly passed away at the young age of 46 from cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and spent his final months as an advocate for organ transplant and awareness. In addition to his Hall of Fame career, each season The Walter Payton Man of The Year award is handed out to honor a player's commitment to charity work and impact in the community. His Legacy will forever be remembered! 💚

Thank you to everyone that has supported me, sent encouraging messages, prayers and continued to push forward with being tested. There have been so many wonderful strangers and friends come forward to be tested and I am so hopeful and grateful - it truly is hard to put into words! The testing process can take months and is still ongoing. I will continue to keep you all updated and push forward with organ donation awareness! 💚

This is a hard post for me to write, but I am becoming desperate for help and you can HELP SAVE my life. I need a liver transplant and there are two ways that this can happen.

The first: I can receive a liver from a deceased donor. This requires me to wait on a list until I become the sickest person waiting. The challenge is that there are more people waiting than livers available and up to 20% of people die while waiting.

The second: I can receive a portion of a liver from a living person. This person would donate ~60% of their liver to me and their own liver would completely regenerate in 4-8 weeks.

I’m getting sicker and while I wait for a deceased donor, it’s possible that I may get too sick to survive the surgery and recovery. This is where living donors come in. My life is is on the line and so I feel like I need to ask. I have to ask. Lindsay, Caelynn and Harrison need me to ask.

Will you consider being a living donor for me?

Being a living donor is not a little ask, it is something bigger than I could have ever imagined asking and I’m forever grateful for those of you that will get tested. When I think about asking someone to share a piece of their liver, I become overwhelmed.

If you are interested in seeing if you might be a match for me or getting more information, please call 780 407 8698, option 3 and say that you are interested in donating to Daniel Drummond. The program is completely anonymous and voluntary.

Basic requirements:
-Blood type A or O
-Age 18-55
-Be in general good health

Please share this as far and wide as possible as it really could be the difference for me finding my perfect match. Thank you for all the support, it means more than you will ever know.

A couple photos of my final tests for my liver transplant assessment week.

Photo 1: This was my final test of the week; PET scan to ensure my body showed no signs of cancer and was the last hurdle to potentially getting listed.

Photo 2: Without sports or competition in my life currently, this test was maybe my most "fun." It checked my lung capacity and I tried to beat my previous amount. Man I miss playing sports lol

Update! --> I am officially on the transplant list!!

I needed a couple weeks to decompress from this week of tests. I think the mental toll it took on me was something of a suprise and the process definitely made me realize that there are many hurdles to get on the transplant list and it is far from a guarantee. The surgeon explained candidates need to be sick enough to be listed, strong enough to handle this type of surgery, responsible and aware to take care of such a gift as someone's organ and the support required to get through something of this magnitude.

The surgeon emphasized to myself and Lindsay there are risks as it is the most extensive abdominal surgery someone can have and I realized that if listed, this moment could come when I least expected it. Previously, I was in limbo waiting for this week to finally come and I am so relieved and thankful to be listed, but I continue to work on the mental side of being ready if and when that call will come.

First day of a big week for my Liver Transplant Assessment. Tests, procedures and meetings with social workers, dieticians, support groups and surgeons to come! 💚

PSC Did you Know?

May 15th was going to be a big day and to be honest, one I wasn't quite sure how I would cope with. Being able to see so many people come out and support myself and my family was so encouraging and uplifting. Having so many friends and family was a blessing and something our family truly cherished yesterday. I am so thankful and grateful to all who have reached out and were able to attend.

A special thanks to and Sarah Thomson for spearheading the event. Thanks Kelly Hodgson & and to all the players, coaches, parents and staff!! 💚

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Coaches from Sherwood Park Soccer have organized a 5km walk/run for Dano on May 15th! See above for more details and how you can get involved and raise awareness 💚

A summary of Dano's journey so far, in his own words:
"I need a new liver to save my life.
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) in 2001. I continued to battle through medications, various tests and procedures throughout my youth. In 2007, I was diagnosed with a rare liver disease, known as Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). I was in the midst of University and felt a huge uncertainty of what could be next. At 22, my hepatologist told me that there is no cure, many patients will require a liver transplant and that there is a real threat of bile duct cancer within the first year. This hit me pretty hard, but I learned about the disease, persevered and continued to have a positive mindset. While many people are aware that I have had some health issues, most are not aware of the full extent.
Fast forward to this year and by mid-February I became really unwell and had many lab tests, procedures, and a visit to the ER. I had an MRI of my liver March 16th which showed significant increase in my PSC, which has affected me so drastically that I have struggled to function in daily life, let alone be active or work.
My Hepatologist met with me and notified that based on my MELD score, my disease has progressed to the point of needing a liver transplant. It didn't seem real and it still doesn't seem real. Within that day, I had a referral sent in & a coordinator contact me to officially be listed in June. I have a full week of appointments and meetings with support teams, doctors, social workers, etc to be officially listed and then I wait for an organ.
I felt getting this message out may help me get my head around this, bring awareness to organ donation, and help explain why I have lost 25lbs and am becoming more and more jaundiced (yellow). The last couple months have been crazy, and the last 2 weeks has been a wave of emotions for me and my family.
Still in this moment I have gratitude. I have the most supportive family, friends, amazing wife, and two most special little ones. For these reasons I have to continue to to stay positive and overcome this hurdle. This is undoubtedly the biggest battle of my life and I will continue to keep you all posted."

Dano's Liver Journey updated their website address.