This Volunteers Week we’re celebrating the hard work of all our amazing volunteers who make such a valuable contribution to the work of British Liver Trust and Children’s Liver Disease Foundation. Here 23-year-old Louis, who is currently awaiting a liver transplant, explains why he does it.
I was diagnosed with biliary atresia at birth, in November 2001. At this time, the internet was still very much in its infancy, and the medical progress for BA which went beyond early diagnosis and performing the Kasai procedure was minimal.
Almost a quarter of a century down the line, and here we are living in a world where both those things are now quite the opposite! Social media is now a key tool in modern life, it’s there to entertain us, connect us, and inform us. And research into biliary atresia and other forms of liver disease has increased significantly since the millennium.
This is exactly why I choose to support The British Liver Trust. Generationally speaking, I feel like we’re privileged to be alive at a time when information and advice can be shared quite literally, in a heartbeat. Podcasts, online blogs, coffee mornings, and events such as the Lord Mayor’s Show in London, are just some of the ways in which myself and many others have been able to raise awareness about liver disease. My parents would have relished the opportunity to hear from other families affected by liver disease, and to have seen how much support there really is out there. Knowing that you’re not alone really does help.
On a personal level, it is also undoubtedly very beneficial to me as well as a patient. Getting involved in these things for the British Liver Trust has been so much fun, and best of all, it helps other families who have been on similar journeys to mine.
