When Sean and Steve Eiles adopted their daughter Ellie in late 2023, they had no idea the first year of parenthood would involve a life-saving liver transplant. Born five weeks early, Ellie initially needed extra care, but it wasn’t until after her four-month checkup that doctors discovered signs of biliary atresia, a serious liver disease. After a Kasai portoenterostomy procedure at American Family Children’s Hospital, Ellie was placed on the transplant list, and her father Sean was found to be a match for living liver donation. On August 15, 2024, UW Health surgeons performed the complex dual surgeries, removing part of Sean’s liver and transplanting it into Ellie. While Ellie faced a brief setback from organ rejection, expert care and treatment stabilized her. Now recovering at home, Ellie is hitting milestones and enjoying the outdoors with her dads, who credit the UW Health transplant team for giving their daughter a healthy start to life.