A Manitoba teenager’s next gift to his grandfather isn’t a new coffee mug or sweater — it’s part of his liver.
Dawson Penner, 19, of Carman, Man., will travel to Toronto next month to donate a portion of his liver to his grandfather.
“I think it really speaks to the relationship that the two of them have,” Kerri Penner, Dawson’s mother, said. “I think it’s something really special that not a lot of grandparents actually have with their grandkids.”
Ray Wieler, 69, of Winkler, has been battling liver disease and declining health since his diagnosis in 2023. Because of his age, Kerri said her father was not a strong candidate for the traditional donor list.
As Dawson got older, the family started looking at living donation, in which a portion of a healthy donor’s liver is transplanted and both the donor’s and recipient’s livers regenerate over time.
After roughly two years of testing, Dawson learned he was a suitable match for his grandfather.
“As close as you can get to a perfect match,” Dawson said. “So, blood type, liver size (and) shape.”
The surgery is scheduled for Oct. 26. Penner said the family has had time to adjust to the reality of the surgery after nearly two years of planning.
“I think it’s been such a process for us, right?” she said. “When you’re doing something and planning for it for almost two years, you get a little desensitized to like the ‘dramaticness’ of it. Like it’s a very big deal. But for us, we’re just planning this surgery.”
The family will travel for the surgery and expects to stay in Toronto for about two weeks during recovery. Five family members, including Dawson’s younger sister, are making the trip, and both Dawson and his mother will be away from work during that time.
To help offset the cost of travel, accommodations and lost wages, the family has launched a GoFundMe campaign.
With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé
