Matt Barry

LEWES, Del. - A local young man whose dream is to serve his country is now waiting for the chance just to survive. 21-year old Matt Barry is on the list with 56 other Delawareans, hoping to get a liver transplant.

Matt was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in 2019 and is in need of a partial liver transplant.

"I went to the doctor's because I thought I had a flu. I ended up with a 104 fever. I came here to Beebe and they sent me out to Einstein's Children's Hospital in Philadelphia and that's where they found out I had cirrhosis," said Matt.

According to Penn Medicine, cirrhosis is scarring of the liver. It is the last stage of liver disease. Doctors don't know how this happened, as Matt doesn't drink and nothing points to genetic history.

"Stress and anxiety is horrible because you're constantly worried about him," said Rick Barry, Matt's father.

University of Pennsylvania placed Matt on the national waiting list. That's where the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) comes in. It is the organization that drives the transplant system in the U.S.

"The only option patients with end stage liver failure have is to get a transplant," said Anne Paschke, media relations specialist at UNOS.

Matt is also eligible for a deceased donor, but because of a 90 minute time constraint he will need a helicopter to get him to Penn as soon as possible. Rick says the doctors told them a living donor would be Matt's best option.

"They may take a lobe of the liver or a part, and the liver is an amazing organ and it regenerates in both the recipient and the donor ... In many cases the person is in the next room over, so there is very little time between when the part of the liver is removed from the living donor until the time that it is sewn into the recipient," said Paschke.

Beebe Healthcare is working to make that possible.

"We take a lot of people up to Philadelphia to Jefferson to Temple to Penn for medical reasons, so is there an opportunity to do that for them, when they get the call so we are working through that process now," said Dr. David Tam, president and CEO of Beebe Healthcare.

Because of this disease, Matt's lifelong dream of joining the Air Force is on hold. In fact, he was applying just a week prior to getting sick.

"My cousin is actually going into the military relatively soon, his father was in the U.S. Air Force, my dad's grandfather was in the U.S. Air Force so it's kind of been a family history," said Matt.

With the help of an eligible donor, Matt can go back to a normal life and eventually enlist in the Air Force.

"Keep him in your thoughts at night when you all go to bed, and say a prayer for him we really appreciate it," said Rick.

Anybody who has a O blood type, is vaccinated and in good health can sign up to be a potential donor. Matt's church also started a Go Fund me to help pay for transportation and the surgery.

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