80 | HealthLinksSC.com A Unique Case: A LIFE OF GIVING, RECEIVING, GRATITUDE THE KEITH LAUER STORY By Lisa Moody Breslin Birthdays for Columbia resident Keith Lauer are all about the gifts: the gift of life he received from a South Carolina woman who anonymously donated her liver to him in November 2018 and the gifts he continues to give back in her honor. Lauer was two months away from hospice care when he was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease; he knew it usually takes six to eight months for a donated liver to become available. He also has a rare blood type, so hope was hard to come by. With uncertainty about his future, Lauer was officially placed on the donor waiting list at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 26. Soon after, one of many miracles materialized. Less than two days later – at 1:19 p.m. on Nov. 28 – Lauer received a call at work that a donated liver was on its way. Lauer is no stranger miracles or to liver-related medical issues. His problems emerged shortly after his birth. “I stayed jaundiced much longer than normal,” he explained. “I participated in many studies and medical trials related to the liver and digestive system. I was finally diagnosed with recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis. A life with this diagnosis is a life of tests, surgeries, catheter changes and miracles along the way.” He enjoyed typical childhood fun – playing sports, swimming and enjoying beach vacations. As an adult, Lauer earned a college degree and remained determined to live a life beyond health restraints. “I water-skied, snowskied, rode horses, got married, began a career and had two wonderful, healthy boys, he said. “Then for several years I was a stay-at-home dad. What a wonderful experience.” With time, age and continuous catheter changes, fibrous tissue built up and closed off several areas of Lauer’s liver, which brought him to the grim end-stage liver disease diagnosis and the hope of life-altering surgery in the fall of 2018.
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