My Liver Donation Story: Mark Murray
My liver donation journey began in 2019, when my boyfriend Leo and I were living in Columbia, South Carolina, and I was completing my residency in pediatrics. We were in our late 20s at the time and very healthy. Leo was getting ready to go to a friend’s wedding in Philadelphia, but he was not feeling great. He ended up in urgent care in Philadelphia. They saw that his liver enzymes were extremely elevated, like in the 3,000s, and they had no idea what was wrong with him.

He was immediately transferred to Einstein Medical Center for further testing, and they discovered that he had a blood clot in his liver. He was diagnosed with Budd-Chiari syndrome, which is a rare condition caused by a blockage of the veins that carry blood away from the liver. He required a TIPPS procedure to put in a stent to help restore all the blood flow out of his liver. They also learned during his stay that he had polycythemia vera, which is when your bone marrow makes too many red blood cells and puts you at risk for clots. It doesn’t run in families—he was just unlucky.
He was in the hospital for three weeks to get everything under control. They told him his liver was very damaged—about 90% had some form of damage —but that he was OK for now. They told him that the liver would try to regenerate itself but would likely not be able to do so correctly because of all that damage, so he needed to be monitored closely.
We spent another one and a half years in South Carolina, then moved to Austin, Texas, for new jobs in a new city. Part of Leo’s monitoring process was getting routine liver biopsies. We were about 90 minutes from University Hospital in San Antonio at the time and we would go about every six months for a biopsy.
Right before Thanksgiving 2021, Leo proposed to me, and I said yes. It was such a happy time. His family came down from Philadelphia for Thanksgiving and we celebrated with them and a few close friends. Then, just after Thanksgiving, we got a call from his hepatologist with the results of his most recent liver biopsy. He had liver cancer—hepatocellular carcinoma. The blood clot had damaged his liver so much that it could not regenerate properly. It was time to think about a liver transplant.
After such a happy occasion, it felt like emotional whiplash. We went from celebrating the rest of our lives together to wondering how we were going to get through the next few months.
Luckily, we were already working with the liver team in San Antonio—one of the best in the country for living donor liver transplants. They helped develop a treatment plan. First, they had to deliver radiation to the parts of the liver that had carcinoma to keep it from spreading outside the liver, because if the cancer spread, Leo would not be a good candidate for a transplant. He got the radiation a few days before Christmas in 2021 and we were able to take a trip together to the Caribbean and enjoy our time together while wondering what might be next.

When we returned, they told Leo he was very sick, but not sick enough to be high on the list for a liver from a cadaver donor. It was then that we learned about living liver donation. They spoke with Leo and me and asked if there was anyone in his life who would consider being a donor. Of course his family members wanted to volunteer, but I was already in Texas and knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with Leo, so figured I would be the first to go through the process.
I went back and forth to San Antonio multiple times and had the most thorough medical workup of my life. They started by testing my blood type because if that is not a match then they move on to the next donor. Luckily, without ever realizing it, Leo and I found out that we were the same blood type.
Next was the major parts of the workup. I remember at one of my first visits they took about 20 vials of blood and did urine tests, ultrasounds, and X-rays. A week or so went by and the transplant team called us—great news, they said, so far all my blood work and tests were a match for Leo.
Next was a two-hour liver MRI to map out my liver, which provided more good news—my liver looked like a great candidate for surgery. Finally, after a psychological evaluation and a few more tests, it was a go!
We were also told that it usually takes about 10 different people going through the evaluation process before they find a match, so my being the first one and being so compatible was nothing short of a miracle.
Mark Murray
They told me I was a perfect match for Leo. We were also told that it usually takes about 10 different people going through the evaluation process before they find a match, so my being the first one and being so compatible was nothing short of a miracle.
We had our surgeries on April 5, 2022. I was on the table for 11 hours, and Leo’s surgery was 14 hours. Our families came out to keep us company and take care of us during our stay. I was in the hospital for four and a half days. I felt really great. We were lucky to be young and healthy—we were into CrossFit and in good shape going into the surgery.

Leo ended up having some complications and had to stay in the hospital for an extra two weeks before being discharged to go home. Luckily I was able to spend most of my days with Leo while he was still in the hospital, hanging out and making friends with the nurses, residents, doctors, and other hospital staff. They all knew our story by the time Leo was discharged. We were also lucky that Leo’s younger brother was able to move in with us for a few weeks to help us get back on our feet.
Amazingly I was back to 100% by August and have had no problems at all. Leo has had no complications since he left the hospital. We are now married and living in Philadelphia with our dog, Hank. Leo’s doctors say he is doing so well that they only need to see him once a year.
It truly was an incredible experience. It was serendipitous in many ways, from catching the cancer early to being a perfect match and being so close to one of the top living liver donor programs in the country. We truly feel like there is someone out there looking out for us and our souls were brought together for a reason over 10 years ago.
About the Author

Mark was born in Toms River, New Jersey, and now lives in Media, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. He attended the University of South Carolina for undergrad and is still an avid Gamecock fan. He then went to graduate school at Drexel University, then on to medical school at Rowan School of Medicine in New Jersey. He then went back to the University of South Carolina for his residency training in pediatrics. After that, he and his then-boyfriend moved to Austin, Texas for a few years before relocating back to the Philly area. Mark has worked as a pediatrician for the last seven years and loves to help families navigate the health and development of their children. He and his husband Leo (the recipient of Mark’s liver donation) just celebrated being together for 10 years, being married for one year, and being post-liver transplant for three years. They both enjoy going to the gym, taking trips together, playing pickleball, and the company of their golden retriever, Hank.