Liver donor found for Taber councillor

Times file photo

By J.W. Schnarr
Southern Alberta Newspapers – Lethbridge

A living donor match has been found for 50-year-old Taber councillor Jack Brewin, according to a Facebook page dedicated to the search.

On Wednesday afternoon, the “Find a Liver for Jack” community page announced that a man named “Andy” had tested positive to be a match for Brewin, and will be donating part of his liver next week.

“We would like to ask for your prayers and positive thoughts for both Jack and Andy and their families in the next coming weeks through the surgery and recovery time,” the post reads. “We would also appreciate prayers and positive thoughts for the surgeons and the transplant team in Edmonton.”

The town and surrounding communities rallied around Brewin earlier this year when it was announced he was in need of a liver transplant. Brewin suffers from an autoimmune disease that attacked his liver.

A call for the need for donor matches went out last month. Due to Brewin’s height and size, there was a need for similarly-sized donors.

The liver is a unique organ that can regenerate within months following donation. As little as 25 per cent of a liver can regenerate back to its full size. All other organs in the body replace damaged tissue with scars.

Editor’s Note: Look for an extended version of the above story in the May 4 edition of The Taber Times.