Ian's Liver Transplant Journey

03/15/2026

It's been officially 2 months since the transplant, and if you had told me how much better I feel, I wouldn't have believed you! At some point, a couple of weeks ago, all of my symptoms and concerns went away, and I'm left feeling amazing. The doctors think that the liver finally grew to the size it needed to be to function properly, and things have been great since.

Comparing myself now to before the transplant, it's a world of a difference in the best way possible. All of the issues I had gotten used to with my liver disease, everything that I had just accepted as a normal part of life, are gone. It's truly amazing how much better I feel compared to then, and it's only been 2 months since everything happened. I'm ecstatic to think about what the future holds, and I'm incredibly thankful for everyone who's helped me get to this point. Thank you!

02/27/2026

Good news! I've returned home recently after my recent hospital stay and have been feeling better than before. It was a long week, but after some tests and treatments, I'm heading in the right direction. Looking forward to relaxing at home once again and even trying to return to work remotely next week!

02/20/2026

Sometimes with one step forward, you unfortunately take two steps back. This past Wednesday, I was readmitted to Northwestern in Chicago following concerns of constant swelling due to fluid build up. I will likely be here for at least the remainder of the weekend with hopes of identifying some solutions to what's happening thanks to some quick tests and procedures by their transplant team.

While not the news I wanted to hear, I'm grateful to tackle these problems head-on instead of letting them fester into something worse. Thankfully, being more healed makes this stay much easier compared to the last, and I have high hopes of coming out stronger than ever.

Without a doubt, it is only adding to my recovery process and medical payments. If you have the means to share my post or fundraiser here at https://helphopelive.org/campaign/26795/, your time would be incredibly appreciated. Each day is still a better day, and I hope to continue that trend once I leave the hospital!

Help Ian M Privett's friends and family raise money for medical expenses associated with Liver Transplant. Donate today.

02/07/2026

After 23 days and a brief readmittance to the hospital following an ER visit, I have finally returned home!! With frequent blood tests at my local outpatient center and the occasional visit back to Chicago for check-ups, I'm back with my family and couldn't be happier.

While this isn't close to the end of the recovery process, I'm ecstatic to reach this milestone in it. Your love and support helped me get through these tough times and kept me motivated to push through some of the roadblocks. I cannot express how thankful I am to have so many people cheering me on; it has truly made a world of difference.

To anyone who would like to help support further or read more about my experience so far, please visit https://helphopelive.org/campaign/26795/ to see my medical fundraising campaign page. Donations to the HelpHopeLive campaign are tax-deductible and will only cover medical and related expenses. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and for sharing!

01/27/2026

As of yesterday, I have been discharged from the hospital! Here's me getting to ring their famous Discharge Bell on my way out. It was an enduring time throughout, but with some patience, my body started recovering, and I'm now taking care of myself with the help of (Nurse) Mom!

I'm now at a hotel next to the hospital for the upcoming week for frequent tests to ensure all is going well. The first night went great, and I hope to keep that trend going upward.

Thank you again for all of the love and support - I leaned on it several times throughout my stay to keep me moving forward. I'm ready to start conquering the road to recovery!

01/23/2026

Sorry I haven’t been updating, but I have a new liver! It has been a tiring and surreal past ten days since our 16 hour transplant surgery. Nina Caliguiri and I have both made great strides in recovery. In fact, she is already back at home with her long awaited pets. I am so proud of her quick recovery and her generosity for which I will be forever grateful.

I'm at day 10 and constantly making progress. There is still a recovery road ahead of me, but my amazing support system makes each step easier. The care and practice of Northwestern has also been excellent and I feel that I am in the best hands available. I hope to post more updates in the coming days as I get healthier!

I am blessed to be supported by Help Hope Live fundraising and have started a campaign for my transplant costs, recovery and continuous health care. I encourage you to check out https://helphopelive.org/campaign/26795/ about my capmaign to learn more about the experiences, costs and progress in my transplant journey.

I will share more updates soon, and again, I am forever thankful for your help in getting me through this challenging time!

01/08/2026

Further exciting news! The Transplant Center had an opening earlier than the expected February date originally planned, and the transplant is now set for ONE WEEK from today, 1/14/2026. This is both incredible and also quick - despite the short notice, we (my family and Nina) are all managing to make it work with our schedules.

With that said, I am expected to be "out of commission" for several weeks afterward, with over a week's stay at the hospital followed by a couple weeks at a hotel, conjoined with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, for frequent tests and care. This will be an intense recovery, but I will push my way through it, step-by-step, one victory at a time. Thank you again to everyone for all of your gracious support, thoughts, and prayers - it means the world to me.

12/24/2025

I have amazing news - Nina Caliguiri has been approved and is willing to be a living donor! Her kindness, generosity, and courage are truly incredible, and I am forever grateful to her. A huge thank you also to everyone who shared, submitted the form, and got tested. Your love and support are truly encouraging and have helped me get through all of these years.

The surgery is set to happen sometime in February 2026, and I will be keeping this page open for the timebeing for updates and other news. Thank you again, sincerely, for all of your kind thoughts and inspiration!!

11/23/2025

Thank you to everyone who has already shared and/or submitted the form. I'm truly appreciative of how much support has been shown recently. If you're willing and haven't already, please share either this post or page in hopes of spreading the word. With that, I've decided to share my brief medical journey.

After starting Junior year in High School, I was taken to an emergency clinic for extensive chest pain, where it was revealed through an X-ray that I had two large masses on my left lung. I was immediately rushed to Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago that late night, where I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Wegener's Granulomatosis (now named Granulomatosis with polyangiitis), with my liver disease to be diagnosed at the same time. After a couple of weeks of being in the hospital, I was finally able to return home with various infusions and treatments as an outpatient over the next year. Luckily, my autoimmune disease has since been dormant, but my liver's scarred bile ducts have resulted in both my liver and spleen growing to over twice their normal sizes. This, along with other factors, has finally made me eligible for the transplant that I seek your help for today.

Thank you again to everyone who's supported me throughout these past 15 years. Your kindness means the world to me and will never be forgotten.

Solid Organ Transplant ProgramFor the questions below, please answer them as they pertain to you, not anyone else in your family.The information provided here will be used by our Transplant Team to detect any medical conditions that may affect your ability to be a donor.

11/08/2025

Wow, I’m truly grateful for all of the love and kindness I’ve received! You all have reminded me of how lucky I am to have such a wonderful support system in my life. I’m indebted to all of my family and friends, who allow me to live such a passionate life, whether it’s celebrating holidays and special occasions or simply spending time together.

All of your help means the world to me and allows me to continue enjoying life to the fullest. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for spreading the awareness and sharing my campaign. If you have any questions about the process or know of someone who might be interested in the questionnaire, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me personally. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=jwOWJaQ-DE-u0QZutlRMO5Sl-FKEqh9Om-KZ8FKgjnZUN09FMkhMQU9LUk1HVUJDQTdPR0xDQVZMSC4u&lang=en

11/06/2025

Hi, I’m Ian Privett, an enthusiastic educator who thrives on making connections, serving the community, and making others laugh. In the past couple of weeks, I have been approved for a liver transplant after a 15-year-long struggle with a liver disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, giving my life a renewed sense of meaning. The support from family and friends over the years has kept me moving forward despite all obstacles, and I am forever thankful to everyone. Once again, I am calling for your support to find or become a living liver donor to take my new life meaning into the next stage and onward. If you would like to help, please share this Living Liver Donor Campaign on your social media platforms, and, if you’d like to be evaluated as a potential donor for me, please click the link below and complete the Living Liver Donor Questionnaire, where the Donor team at Northwestern Memorial Hospital will reach out to you Thank you for your time and consideration.