News Releases

He came in for a liver. He came out with a heart.

The story of 12-year-old Kevin Murphy of San Ramon, CA, shows how the symptoms of heart failure may actually be found in the tummy.

For Release: March 27, 2009

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The family of Kevin Murphy, a 12-year-old ballplayer from San Ramon, CA, was very, very scared when they brought Kevin to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital for a liver transplant last month.
 
The previously healthy 6th grader had been on a roller coaster of doctor visits since falling ill in mid-January. His strange on-again, off-again, flu-like symptoms kept his parents and three brothers on an emotional yo-yo. Everything from food allergies to hepatitis was ruled out for the excellent student when, on Super Bowl weekend, he turned pale, puffy, sluggish and desperately sick. New tests by local doctors suggested liver failure. “We were shocked,” said mom Dianna, who, with husband Tim, rushed Kevin to the liver transplant program at Packard Children’s.
 
Still reeling from the idea of a liver transplant, Dianna and Tim received even more frightening news. Within hours of arrival, the results of an echocardiogram showed Kevin didn’t need a new liver after all. “Instead, we were told Kevin would need a new heart,” said Dianna. This was so scary that when Dianna heard it, she thought to herself, "Give us back the liver transplant!"
 
Daniel Bernstein, MD, director of the children’s heart center at Packard Children’s, delivered this extraordinary update to the Murphys. He explained how such a surprising diagnosis is not all that surprising. “When people think of the symptoms of heart failure, they usually think of breathing trouble,” said Bernstein. “But we’ve shown that for kids in Kevin's age group needing new hearts, around 60 to 70 percent come to see us with abdominal symptoms as their primary complaint." Kevin's cardiomyopathy, origin unknown, had weakened his heart and drastically reduced the ability of blood to return from his liver. "With a new heart, we knew Kevin's liver abnormalities would improve," said Bernstein.
 
But Kevin was so sick that he needed to be treated with mechanical ventilation to stabilize his respiratory system, which could allow him to be well enough to qualify for the transplant. After 14 long days on the breathing machine, he was finally able to be weaned off the respirator. However, he began to worsen yet again and at 2am on February 19, with the family and doctors at bedside, Kevin required resumption of the breathing machine treatment. Then, during this emotional and stressful setback, Tim's cell phone rang. He got off the phone with dramatic news. "Dianna, they have a heart for Kevin."
 
More tests, tears and group hugs followed over the next several hours as doctors had to determine if Kevin was healthy enough to accept the heart. He was. Kevin received his donated heart in a February 20 surgery performed by Bruce Reitz, MD. The Pine Valley Middle School in San Ramon marked the date with a community sign, “New heart, new start, Go Kevin!” Family and friends began wearing bracelets to honor what they are calling “Kevin’s new birthday.”
 
As Kevin began recovery, the thankful family shared many tears about another family’s grief. “I can’t believe that someone had to die for me,” said Kevin. “This was his first response, and it shows his incredible character,” recalled Diana. Meanwhile, it’s impossible to know how many people in the community have registered for organ donation because of Kevin, “but it’s been a lot,” said Tim.
 
Bernstein saluted the know-how of the entire Packard team. “Our hospital’s extraordinary experience with cases like Kevin’s led us right away to dig deeper into what was causing the liver problem,” he said. “Now it looks like Kevin should be able to eventually return to sports." While collision sports such as tackle football are a no-no, baseball, basketball and soccer are OK for patients after a heart transplant.
 
“We thank the doctors for finding out exactly why our son was so dreadfully ill,” said dad Tim, who notes that with baseball season starting, Kevin has his usual case of spring fever. “We now have our ballplayer back, and could not be more grateful.”

Media Contact

Robert Dicks
rdicks@lpch.org
(650) 497-8364