In early 1996 our young family was enjoying life and attempting to manage the challenges most couples experience with two young daughters — Katelyn, 3 and Melissa, 1 — and the pressures of two working parents. Little did we know how life was going to change.

Our son, William Bergholz, was born on December 18, 1996 at 11:30 a.m. after a normal full-term pregnancy. In early January of 1997, Jennifer and I noticed two small yellow spots on William's eyes just above his tear ducts. After a brief checkup and blood tests, our pediatrician informed us that it would be necessary for William to have a liver biopsy. Jennifer and I were in a state of shock.

UCSF Medical Center staff performed the biopsy and told us the next day that William had a condition called biliary atresia, which is the closure or absence of some or all of the major bile ducts. That evening William had surgery to assess the damage to his liver and to open bile ducts.

Later, during clinic visits with Dr. Phil Rosenthal and pediatric nurse practitioner and Liver Transplant Coordinator Chris Mudge, we learned about a relatively new procedure call a living related liver transplant. To us, this procedure offered the best hope.

On May 7, 1997 around noon William received part of my liver. The process, although difficult, was one of the best decisions Jennifer and I ever made. We are both very thankful that the living related transplant option was available. William's post-transplantation recovery went well and his health has steadily improved. We are fortunate that his dependency on immunosuppression medication has been low and that he has handled several childhood illnesses well.

William is now 4 years old, loves going to preschool, daycare, playing with his sisters, being with mom and dad, going to San Francisco to visit Chris and Dr. Rosenthal, Thomas the Train, jets, Chinese food...

Story written in 2001.