Eric DelRicci donates part of liver to save life of cousin who had five brain tumours

Eric DelRicci donates part of liver to save life of cousin who had five brain tumours

A teenager who had five brain tumours has been given a second chance of life after his cousin donated part of his liver.

Jordan DelRicci, 19, from North Providence, Rhode Island, needed a life-saving transplant after surgery to remove his fourth tumour damaged his liver.

Life saver: Eric DelRicci, right, became a living donor for his cousin Jordan after the teenager's liver was damaged in surgery for his fourth brain tumour

‘When I was a kid, I was in and out of hospital,’ Jordan told local station WPRI. ‘I didn’t have a good life.’

Jordan had been on the national recipient for liver donors for more than two years – until his cousin, Eric DelRicci, 32, found he was a match and stepped forward to offer to become his living donor.

 

 

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After a successful operation, Jordan is now recovering and said he now wants to learn how to rollerblade, ride a bike and swim – which he had never been able to do before.

‘It actually feels I’ll be able to start doing something, that nothing is going to stop me,’ said Jordan.

‘He did a lot for me, gave me a chance. I’m not going to waste it.’

'I'd do it again': Eric DelRicci, a 32-year-old financial analyst, said he hopes the transplant will give his younger cousin a better life going into adulthood

 

'I'm not going to waste it': Jordan DelRicci, 19, said after the operation he now wants to learn how to rollerblade, ride a bike and swim for the first time

Eric DelRicci said he hopes to give Jordan a good life going into adulthood.

‘I’ve had a great life for 32 years,’ he said. ‘My family has always supported me. And he’s going to get the same support here. He deserves it.’

He added: ‘If I had to do it again, I’d do it tomorrow. I’d do anything for family. Even that bit of pain I was in, it all goes away after time and you get to see the outcome and it’s worth it.’

Recovery: After a successful transplant, both livers are now fully grown

Both men’s livers are now fully grown and despite losing more than 20 pounds and dealing with eating and physical restrictions, both are doing well.

Eric DelRicci has just returned to his job as a financial analyst for the first time in three months since the operation and Jordan is expected to return to school in September