Episode 8 – Tara Duke

“With a new liver she would gain quality of life. It would take her away from the risk of having a metabolic crisis and something catastrophic happening down the track. We wanted to give her the best possible chance of thriving and living her fullest life. From our side, all of it pointed in the direction of an organ transplant.”  

These are the words of Tara Duke, mum of baby Maia, who underwent a liver transplant at the age of just 20 months.

In the eighth episode of Let’s Talk Organ and Tissue Donation, podcast host Michael Billings speaks to Tara about little Maia, who was diagnosed with a very rare metabolic disorder called propionic acidemia – a hereditary disease caused by a missing enzyme needed to convert protein into energy, also required for growth and development.

Maia’s adoring parents Tara and Richard embarked on a complex medical journey to get Maia well.

It was the gift from an unknown donor and their family that helped give Maia a new and robust life.

“Knowing that Maia was 20 months when she had her transplant, and knowing she had a paediatric donor – somebody in that situation, at the most traumatic time in their life, has made a decision that helped save our daughter’s life,” says Tara. “You can’t clearly put into words, how to say thank you.” 

More Australians are alive today because of organ and tissue donation. To register to be an organ and tissue donor, visit donatelife.gov.au. It only takes a minute.

Episode 8 &ndash; Tara Duke
&ldquo;With a new liver she would gain quality of life. It would take her away from the risk of having a metabolic crisis and something catastrophic happening down the track. We wanted to give her the best possible chance of thriving and living her fullest life. From our side, all of it pointed in the direction of an organ transplant.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
These are the words of Tara Duke, mum of baby Maia, who underwent a liver transplant at the age of just 20 months.
In the eighth episode of Let&rsquo;s Talk Organ and Tissue Donation, podcast host Michael Billings speaks to Tara about little Maia, who was diagnosed with a very rare metabolic disorder called propionic acidemia &ndash; a hereditary disease caused by a missing enzyme needed to convert protein into energy, also required for growth and development.
Maia&rsquo;s adoring parents Tara and Richard embarked on a complex medical journey to get Maia well.
It was the gift from an unknown donor and their family that helped give Maia a new and robust life.
&ldquo;Knowing that Maia was 20 months when she had her transplant, and knowing she had a paediatric donor &ndash; somebody in that situation, at the most traumatic time in their life, has made a decision that helped save our daughter&rsquo;s life,&rdquo; says Tara. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t clearly put into words, how to say thank you.&rdquo;&nbsp;
More Australians are alive today because of organ and tissue donation. To register to be an organ and tissue donor, visit donatelife.gov.au. It only takes a minute.

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