Teen From North Tonawanda Receives Emergency Cadaver liver transplant, Recovering in Pittsburgh
USA: On Monday, November 17, 17-year-old Meredith Roberts of North Tonawanda was reported to be recovering in Pittsburgh after receiving an emergency liver transplant on Saturday. The operation followed a sudden onset of liver failure that left the previously healthy high school swimmer in a critical situation and in urgent need of transplantation.
Meredith had been active on the North Tonawanda High School swim team and had exhibited no prior health problems before the abrupt collapse of liver function. The rapid deterioration turned what had been an ordinary life into a race against time, prompting her family to seek a suitable organ match and urgent surgical intervention in Pittsburgh.
Hospital and family updates over the weekend confirmed that Meredith received a cadaver liver and is now in the postoperative recovery phase at the medical center. The medical team caring for her has described her progress as positive, and the family intends for her to remain in Pittsburgh for continued monitoring and convalescence as clinicians guide her through the early stages of recovery after transplantation.
The Roberts family reported being overwhelmed by an outpouring of support from the Western New York community. They also noted that more than 600 people had reached out offering to be screened as potential donors or to assist in other ways, underscoring the scale of local concern and engagement. Medical staff, hospital resources, the donor organ, and community backing together framed a swift response that enabled the life-saving transplant and the start of Meredith’s recovery.
