By Ewen McRae
Daniel Manic has had issues with his liver all his life, but a transplant last year has given him a new lease on life.
At just six-months-old he was diagnosed with Glycogen Storage Disease, a rare condition, similar to diabetes, that meant his body struggled to store sugars.
With an often swollen liver, he said he always had a big belly, had to constantly monitor his diet, and as a kid he couldn’t take part in many of the sports his friends were playing.
“I couldn’t play physical contact sport, because a little tap basically winded me,“ Daniel said.
“It was pretty shit to be honest. I had to be so careful.
“I had a pretty strict diet. The worst thing was drinking cornflour mixed with water, which is probably the worst thing you could ever drink, but I needed it to keep my sugars up.
“I went a bit off the rails as a teenager, just staying home all the time and didn’t want to do anything with my life, but I got it together.“
In his early 20s, his doctor told him he would likely be dead within eight years if he didn’t have a liver transplant.
However it was nearly two years later before he put himself on the waiting list for the operation.
“My Mum was in the room and she burst into tears, but for me it didn’t really register,“ he said.
“Every time I saw the doctor they’d suggest it, but it wasn’t until about 2017 that things changed and I decided to get on the waiting list.“
After several months of proving to doctors he was capable of looking after a new liver, he had the transplant mid-way through 2018.
At the same time he was expecting the birth of his first child, Hunter, who arrived three months after his transplant.
With Hunter about to turn one, and just over over a year passing since his the transplant, Daniel is looking forward to many more years ahead.
“I’ve had no complications,“ he said.
“I don’t have to drink cornflour any more, which is the best thing, and I’ve got a flat stomach for the first time in my life.
“It’s been pretty life changing. To have Hunter sitting here with me, it’s been a big year and we’re all feeling pretty good now.“
While organ donation in Australia is anonymous, Daniel wrote a letter to the family of his liver donor to thank them for giving him a second chance.
“I struggled to put into words how I felt about it,“ he said.
“I said thank you, and told them how it had helped me. I’m obviously sorry for their loss, but I’m grateful for what they’ve given me. I’ll never forget it.“
The National Thank You Day to honour all organ and tissue donors, and their families. is this Sunday, November 17.
Anyone interested in organ or tissue donation can visit www.donatelife.gov.au
