A story on this week’s philly.com (Philadelphia Inquirer) details the story of a Pennsylvania coach who attends Gateway Grace Community Church, Parkesburg, Pa. (Mike Silliman, pastor). Matt Ortega recently gave a portion of his liver to his father, who has liver cancer. A portion of the story appears below. Click here to read the complete article.
Coatesville coach donates liver to his father
Matt Ortega spent the last few months worrying, but the next football game wasn’t what kept the Coatesville head football coach up at night. He found out this summer that his father, Rick, needed a liver transplant.
“He spent many sleepless nights thinking he may not be a match,” said Corrie Ortega. “My husband was very adamant he wanted to be the one to do it. He’s very, very close to his dad.”
After months of trips to the hospital and many blood tests, screenings, consultations, and a biopsy, Matt Ortega, 39, found out in November that he was a match. He was relieved that he could save his father, whom he had written a paper about in high school.
At the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, doctors removed about 65 percent of Matt Ortega’s liver and gave it to his father. The almost-eight-hour surgery went well, Corrie Ortega said, and her husband will stay at the hospital for about a week.
