A mum’s group just rustled up a donor organ to save a baby’s life

Some mums find mother’s groups unhelpful, explaining that they don’t really ‘gel’ with the other women. But so many others say these groups keep them connected and are a lifeline in those early months of parenting.

Lean on me

It’s fair to say that – at the very least – one particular mum wholeheartedly believes the latter, having had an actual life-saving experience with her mother’s group.

In fact, Robin Bliven has her online mother’s group to thank for the fact that her baby boy, Callum is alive.

The 11-month-old was in desperate need of a liver transplant and a woman in her mum’s group put her hand up to help. (Actually, lots of women did, but one particular mum was a match and followed through.)

Relieved mum Robin has taken to Facebook to share her story, noting that her online mother’s group has come to the rescue numerous times, but this one was a biggie.

“People can say a lot of things about mom’s groups on the internet,” Robin wrote. “[But] when this little sack of sugar, Cal, needed a LIVER from a live donor in order to survive, over 100 moms from my group called to be screened as potential donors.”

“Tomorrow this sweet baby will head to a 10 hour surgery to receive a liver from a mommy he’d never met except through Facebook. She is a single mom who has left her two kids at home and travelled from Boston to New Haven to give away a piece of her body so this baby can live.”

Andrea Alberto is the woman in question and when she read about Callum’s situation, she was keen to donate part of her liver in the urgent quest to save this little boy.

“How lucky is that liver?”

Liver donor Andrea says it was not just this sick little boy who benefited from this exchange.

She calls her experience an “adventure” and says she’s reaped the rewards of sharing part of her body with tiny Callum.

“My liver couldn’t have asked for a better home,” she wrote on Facebook.

“It’s going to go to Kingergarten and learn to drive a car. It will get to eat lots of birthday cake and play sports and go to the prom. How lucky is that liver?”

“And honestly, it has never looked cuter. I can’t wait to see the places Cal takes it.”

What a total champ, right?

Oh, and word is that Callum and Andrea are both doing brilliantly!