MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — We have an exciting update to a story we brought you last year.
A Milledgeville man started the new year with a new kidney and liver, after being waitlisted for 16 months.
We paid him a visit to see how he is doing post-surgery.
After months of waiting, he finally had his transplant surgery on December 11 of last year, and he is already back home, healing, ready to share his story, straight from the heart.
Scott Brown's liver had been failing him for nearly a year-and-a-half until he matched with a donor in early December. He says he's already seeing improvement.
"My smile is back and my skin tone is so different," Brown said. "They said I had almost looked like a ghost, I was so white."
Doctors diagnosed Brown with end-stage liver disease in 2020, but during last year's ninth trip to Emory University Hospital, his doctor said "what they were doing was not working."
"I had really gotten to the point that I couldn't do anything. There were so many times that I got discouraged and frustrated cause I didn't think my time was going to come, but it did. At the very end, when I needed it the most, my transplants were there," Brown said.
Now, he is already driving and visiting his friends again.
Terry Cliett said, "Since he's had his surgery, it's like talking to a new person. There is a new, improved version that's making the rounds now with a new purpose, new hopes, new goals, and new strengths."
"I just love life and I just love this new lease on life that I've been given. You know, I don't know how long it's good for, but I'm still alive today and I carry that person's transplant organ inside of me. I am very grateful," Brown said.
Brown also says he doesn't know who gave him his new liver or kidney, but for now, he is just looking forward to enjoying his life and visiting his daughter in Iowa.
"With God, all things are possible, and that's how I feel right now. I didn't have any hope, but now I do," Brown said.
He goes back to the hospital twice a week for bloodwork and follow-up appointments. In the meantime, he wants to continue sharing his road to recovery with others on his website called 'Transplantmiracle.com."
There are several ways you can register to be a donor.
You can do it when you are getting your driver's license, even when you are renewing, or obtaining a new one or a state ID.
You can also go online to www.donatelifegeorgia.org and sign up, or you can go through the Department of Natural Resources, when you are obtaining a hunting or fishing license, and sign up then to become an organ donor.