Big sis donated liver to younger sibling

There are many things that connect these two sisters. Now, they’re connected by the gift of life.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

They laugh, then they cry. They reminisce about their childhood and how their sisterly love extends into adulthood.

Lindsey Canady and Joanna Bradley share their faith, their journey through motherhood, and now they share a liver. Both their daughters are pursuing nursing careers, and their husbands are connected by a player-coach relationship in football.

There’s more.

Growing up, they were the only siblings. Bradley is four years older than Canady. Their father was in the military and when the family moved, the girls had each other. “We’ve always had a close family unit. When I was in high school, she was in junior high, but we stayed close through all those different stages into adulthood,” said Bradley, who lives in Alabama.

In 2017, Canady was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). The diagnosis was then changed to Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), a chronic liver disease that causes inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts. At the time, Canady was in the care of a doctor closer to her Peru, Ind. home. When she was referred to IU Health, she was in the care of Dr. Ashina Singh, who specializes in gastroenterology and hepatology. When Canady needed a transplant, her sister went through the testing and was a match.

At IU Health many recipients receive kidney and liver transplants from living donors. Living donors undergo an initial screening, multiple tests and evaluations. The liver transplant involves removing a portion of the donor’s liver and then using it to replace the diseased liver in the recipient. The liver regenerates and returns to full function within a month.

On October 13, the sisters were in the care of Dr. Chandrashekhar Kubal as Canady received a liver transplant from her sister.

On the day of the surgery, 12 family members filled the waiting room. They came from throughout the state and out of state.

“Five years ago, when doctors brought up that my baby sister might need a transplant, I knew it would be me,” ‘said Bradley, married to Oliver and the mother of three girls ages eight to 24. “I don’t think I even needed to make a decision. My family was nervous, but they were all on board. I’d tell people ‘It’s a great choice to give someone else the opportunity to live the life I’ve already been living.’”

The holidays feel a little different this year for Canady, married to Brian and the mother to a daughter, 21, and son, 20.

“This is a feeling I don’t really have words for,” said Canady. “You can’t express how blessed, how thankful you are when your sister shares a liver.”