‘We are at the end option’ Massachusetts mother seeks liver donor for 8-month-old daughter

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM/Gray News) - An 8-month-old baby in Massachusetts is in need of a liver donor and her mom is calling on the community to help.

At just two and a half months old, Layla Cruz began a fight for her life. Her mother, Brianna Poehler, said she suffers from a rare liver disease called biliary atresia.

“We are at the end option. You see babies that are jaundice and usually, they are put under a light and it’s resolved, but her case was a little more scary and rare,” she said. “One in 15,000 babies have this condition and unfortunately she does.”

Poehler, Layla’s mom, told WGGB that neither she nor Layla’s dad are a match for their daughter, and they are calling on the community to help.

“It’s scary. I’m really hoping to get somebody out there who can be her donor and I don’t even care to know who it is. If you want to stay anonymous, please stay anonymous, but she needs a liver sooner rather than later,” Poehler said.

Layla is on the Massachusetts transplant list for a donor, but finding a match is proving to be challenging. They are looking for someone with blood type ‘O’ who is 18 to 40 years old and healthy.

“There is no cure to this disease, which is the scary part of it, but she’s a fighter and that’s my big thing. We have a fighter and she’s getting through it,” Poehler said.

Poehler said she wants to remind parents to always fight for your children, especially when it comes to their health.

“Finding something like this is very important early on. I could’ve lost my child, and it’s not very easy to think of that,” Poehler said.

If you meet these requirements and are interested in helping Layla, you can CLICK HERE for more information.

NAME - LAYLA CRUZ

BIRTHDATE - AUGUST 11, 2021

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