To Old to Be a Living Donor, She Gives Her Liver to Her Sister After Death

A 60-year-old California woman who wanted to be a living liver donor for her sister but was turned down because of age wound up posthumously giving her the gift of life this week after suffering a brain aneurysm.

In March, Dianne Tenaglia, 58, of Brighton, MI, had visited her older sister Jeanne Whitener in Los Angeles, and Jeanne was so concerned about Dianne's appearance and health that she offered to give her part of her liver.

The two sisters approached doctors at the University of Wisconsin in Madison about a living donor liver transplant. But because of Jeanne's age, "We said no," said Dr. Stuart Knechtle. There was too great a risk of medical problems for Jeanne.

Then on the 4th of July, Diane received a phone call from her brother-in-law. Jeanne had suffered a brain aneurysm. On the evening of July 7th, Jeanne was pronounced brain-dead.

"Jeanne's last wish," her husband Ray said, "was that her liver go to Dianne." Because time is of the essence in transplanting a cadaver liver, Jeanne's doctors quickly called the University of Michigan transplant center, where her sister was on the waiting list.

But the University of Michigan declined to retrieve Jeanne's liver for Dianne. So the doctors next called the University of Wisconsin, which agreed to retrieve the organs and perform the transplant.

As Dianne began making her way to Madiscon, a team of three University of Wisconsin surgeons boarded a charter plane and headed to Los Angeles. Arriving during morning rush-hour, they fought their way through traffic to the hospital, removed Jeanne's liver, and raced back to the airport. Seven hours after the liver was removed, they were back in Madison.

As a general rule, you don't want wait more than 12 hours to transplant a liver "especially when it's from an older person," said Dr. L. Thomas Chin, a member of the team that retrieved the organ.

By 1:30 a.m. July 9th, the sister-to-sister transplant had been completed. Less than 24 hours later, Dianne's skin color had lost its sickly yellow hue and she was walking.

While excited about a healthy future, Dianne said her one regret is "I wish I could have said goodbye." But part of Jeanne lives on as a result of this unusual gift to a younger sister.

"She gave me life, and I thank her," Diane said. "I feel like she's right here with me. I'll always have her now."

Other Sources: University of Wisconsin,, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel