Cassady Michele was born in June 2000. She was a full term baby with no complications and appeared to be healthy as can be. She became jaundiced while we were in the hospital but I was told that it was normal and would pass in a week or so. 

By the time Cassady was 4½ weeks old she was still jaundiced and even though everyone was passing it off as normal, I made an appointment with her doctor. It also bothered me that her stools were really pale and not like my son's when I nursed him as an infant. Her doctor was baffled and decided to run a series of blood tests to find out why she was still jaundiced. That same day I received word that Cassady's unconjugated bilirubin was somewhat normal; however, her conjugated bilirubin was extremely high. We were referred to Cincinnati Children's Hospital and instructed to go there the next day to have an ultrasound done and to meet with the GI specialist. When we met with the GI doctor we were told that our daughter had biliary atresia and unless she had surgery right away she might not make it. Two days later she had a liver biopsy and then had the Kasai done. I have never been so scared in my life. One minute I had a healthy little newborn and in the next it was all taken away. After about 10 days in the hospital she was able to come home. 

Since her homecoming it has been an emotional roller coaster. Every time she gets an unexplained fever she ends up in the hospital for a few days to rule out ascending cholangitis and then comes home. I worry every day about  when her liver will fail and she'll need a transplant. I am going to try to be her living-related donor when the time comes if we are a match. We love her very much and thank God for every day that Cassady is in our lives.