Help Ivo Find a Living Liver Donor
Key Information
- Patient: Ivo, 40s, software architect and father in Southern California
- Blood Type Required: A (compatible with A or O donors)
- Hospital: USC Transplant Center
- Travel Costs: Fully covered for out-of-state donors
- Urgency: Sooner is better - he's currently healthy enough for optimal outcomes
Ivo's Story
Meet Ivo: a passionate software architect, aerobatics pilot, skateboarder, photographer, and devoted father to his son Vos. Originally from The Netherlands, he's called Southern California home since 2006, where he works at Applied Minds creating innovative technology solutions.
In 2014, Ivo was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), a rare liver disease that progressively scars bile ducts, eventually leading to liver failure. He's already survived four severe episodes requiring weeks of hospitalization, and recent tests show his liver is developing cirrhosis.
Why he needs a living donor: While Ivo is on the national transplant waiting list, PSC patients don't receive high enough priority scores to get organs in time. The disease also carries high risks of bile duct cancer and life-threatening infections. His medical team at USC strongly recommends finding a living donor to allow transplant while he's still relatively healthy.
The living donor process: Surgeons would remove 55-70% of a healthy donor's liver and transplant it to Ivo. Remarkably, both portions regenerate to full size within months. The donor evaluation process is thorough, and donors can withdraw at any time for any reason.
How You Can Help
If you're considering donating: Fill out the preliminary screening form below. This doesn't commit you to anything - it's just the first step in evaluation. Compatible donors typically need to be blood type A or O, in good health, and between ages 18-60.
→ Start Donor Evaluation Form ←This links to USC's official living donor program intake form. All medical screening and coordination is handled by USC's transplant team.
If you can't donate: Please share this page with your networks. Every share increases the chances of finding Ivo's donor match.
Questions?
For questions about the donation process, contact USC's Living Donor Program directly through the form above. For questions about Ivo or to offer other support, feel free to reach out through the contact information on his personal website.
"I can't do this alone, and rely on a benefactor being willing to donate a portion of their liver to me. Being fully aware of the sacrifice this implies, I find even asking for this to be deeply uncomfortable, and I wouldn't even dream of doing this if there was another way forward." - Ivo