Liver Donor For Dustyn Block-Vargas

11/13/2025

Good news! This morning Dustyn received an incredible gift of life, a successful liver transplant. After a long and difficult journey, his surgery went well. His new liver is working as hoped. We are beyond grateful to the amazing surgical and medical teams who made this possible, and to the donor and their family for giving such a selfless gift. This transplant marks a new beginning for Dustyn, and we’re filled with hope and gratitude for the days ahead. He is now on the road to recovery 💪

11/05/2025

Hi everyone, this is Amanda, Dustyn's fiancee writing on his behalf.

It's hard to put into words what the past two months have been like. Dustyn was admitted to the transplant ward on August 24th and continues to remain in the ICU.

It's been up and down over these past months, with some scary moments and close calls. Thanks to the incredible ICU doctors and nurses Dustyn is still with us today. Despite everything Dustyn continues to fight through every challenge, his strength and determination are truly inspiring. He is the strongest person I know. ❤️

He's currently waiting for his life-saving transplant. Hoping that any day now the surgery could happen.

Thank you all for your continued love and support, it truly means the world to us 💚
We have an Amazon wishlist of things that would help him and I get through his recovery once he gets his surgery and is home from transplant.
https://www.amazon.ca/registries/gl/guest-view/2KW8AWUY4KIIT?ref_=cm_sw_r_apann_ggr-subnav-share_10FYXBGF1K637K6GD28H&language=en-US

09/07/2025

Hi everyone, I haven't posted in a little while as my condition has gotten worse and I've been finding it difficult to find the energy. A week ago I was admitted to Toronto General Hospital into the Ajmera transplant ward and I am still currently here getting taken care of. The month before being admitted I was slowly declining. I was having soreness in my abdomen, my fluid retention and ascites was making me extremely uncomfortable, it was making it difficult for me to breathe. My brain was foggy and confused and I felt like I could barely move. I was so weak.

A lot has changed in this past month for me. Right now my treatment plan has been updated. When I was admitted they noted that I had acute kidney injury due to how advanced my liver disease has become.

When I was considered for the two options of living liver donors a few months ago my liver MELD score (a number given to measure the severity of liver disease) was around 17-20, and I was not considered as urgent. They've decided that those donors would not be a good fit for me now. My current MELD score is 40, which is where the meld score caps at. My bilirubin levels are extremely high as my common bile duct is so narrow from scarring it is preventing proper bile flow.

Currently the doctors and nurses are managing my acute kidney injury. I've also gone through another ERCP, in which they were successful in placing a stent to dilate my bile duct to improve bile flow. I'm currently on hold for a transplant until I get a PET scan to rule out any cancers as a precaution. From there it's just hoping and waiting to get considered for a transplant soon. Until then I'm taking it day by day, doing my best to stay strong and keep positive. - Dustyn

06/13/2025

Quick health update

As per my last post I’ve been dealing with some fluid build-up, which is unfortunately a common part of how PSC progresses. I’ve been prescribed diuretics (which help remove fluid by making me urinate more, but can be hard on the kidneys). Thankfully they’ve started helping and from recent blood work my kidneys are handling the new meds well so far. I’ve also been really focusing on eating a clean, low-sodium diet to help manage the swelling and it's made a difference.

I ended up having the ERCP procedure recently in hopes they could place a stent and break up some stones they found in my bile ducts to help improve bile flow. Unfortunately, similar to when I had this procedure last time a few years ago it was not successful. My bile ducts are too narrow and scarred for them to pass through. Luckily, I’ve had no complications after the ERCP. For now, the team is working to keep me stable while I wait to hear more about a future transplant.

The unknowns and waiting are hard, but your support continues to keep me going. If you’ve been wanting to help, I do have an Amazon gift list with things that will help me through this recovery journey (no pressure at all).

https://www.amazon.ca/registries/gl/guest-view/2KW8AWUY4KIIT

Thank you all for being in my corner ❤️
- Dustyn

05/19/2025

Health Update

I wanted to share a quick update on my health and where things stand right now. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been dealing with swelling in my legs due to fluid buildup. This is actually a symptom of PSC as it progresses and it’s a sign that things are becoming more advanced. Because of that, my doctors have started me on new medications to help manage the swelling.
At the same time, my bilirubin levels are the highest they’ve ever been. A recent MRI showed some stones in my bile duct, which adds more complexity to everything going on.

Right now, they are closely monitoring me for something called Cholangitis, which is an infection that people with PSC are at higher risk for. It happens when bile can’t drain properly from the liver due to blockages or scarring, and it can lead to serious complications if not caught early.
In the meantime, I’m still waiting to hear from the transplant team about their decision. My liver specialist is really advocating for me and pushing to get the transplant scheduled sooner rather than later, especially since my condition could get worse quickly.

She mentioned the possibility of doing an ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography), which is a procedure that can help clear out bile duct stones and improve bile flow. However, there are risks with this procedure especially for someone with severe scarring like I have. A few years ago, they weren’t able to complete an ERCP because my bile ducts were too narrowed from scarring. So for now, they’re holding off unless it looks like I’ll have to wait much longer for a transplant. If that’s the case, they’ll likely go ahead and schedule one to try and break up the stones. It’s kind of a waiting game to see if the transplant will happen sooner or if we’ll have to take more steps in the meantime. It’s a tough place to be, but I’m staying hopeful and doing what I can to take care of myself day by day.

Hoping for answers soon.Thank you so much for all your support 💚

-Dustyn

https://www.amazon.ca/registries/gl/guest-view/2KW8AWUY4KIIT

04/21/2025

**Update about my search for a living liver donor**

An exciting update about what’s next for me! The transplant team recently let me know that there is another person who’s being considered as an option for a living liver donor! They’re looking closely at both donor options and weighing the risks and best chances at the most optimal fit and recovery. This new donor’s liver graft would have Hepatitis C. This might sound scary, however it's treatable after transplant. I would go through antiviral treatments that are effective in curing Hepatitis C in liver transplant patients. The liver graft from this donor would be larger and would not require the removal of my spleen. The team is being super thorough and making sure every angle is covered before moving forward on what option they think is best for me. While I wait to hear the decision and to receive a surgery date I've been trying my best to stay preoccupied and work on being as strong as possible before I get my transplant.

I’ve been blown away at the amount of support I've had from my family, the transplant community and kind strangers. It gives me strength on tough days. I'd like to give thanks again to everyone who has sent items from my Amazon transplant gift list. It's going to help for a more comfortable recovery. I’ve linked it below if you’d like to contribute, but there is no pressure or obligation to purchase anything. 💚

- Dustyn

https://www.amazon.ca/registries/gl/guest-view/2KW8AWUY4KIIT

03/03/2025

I wanted to give a huge thank you to everyone who has sent me something from my Amazon wish list! I seriously appreciate it more than I can say. I’ll be saving everything for after my transplant surgery. It's going to make things easier and more comfortable when the time comes. It truly means so much to have your support, and I’m incredibly grateful! 💚

02/25/2025

**Update about my search for a living liver donor**

An incredible anonymous living liver donor has been found for me! I am absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude!

My transplant team has determined that they will need to also remove my spleen during the transplant as the liver graft will be small. Thankfully, humans can live without a spleen! The spleen plays a role in fighting infections so I need to make sure all my vaccines are up to date and receive a few additional ones to help protect me from illness and infections before we can go ahead with the surgery.

None of this would have been possible without the amazing support from all of you who have shared my story—your kindness helped connect me with this life-saving donor. This anonymous hero is giving me a second chance and I can’t put into words how much this means to me. If everything stays on track with my vaccinations and medical tests, a transplant is in my near future!

So many people have reached out asking how they can help during my transplant journey, and I am truly touched by the kindness and support. If anyone would like to contribute I’ve put together an Amazon wish list with items that will help me during recovery and assist my caregiver (link below). That being said, there is absolutely no pressure or obligation to purchase anything—I completely understand that not everyone is in a position to help. Your kind words, encouragement, and support mean just as much, if not more, and I am so grateful for each and every one of you!💚 I'll be updating as things develop

https://www.amazon.ca/registries/gl/guest-view/2KW8AWUY4KIIT

12/27/2024

Full video now on Youtube! 💚 Nós Portugueses

Dustyn-Block Vargas era um jovem como qualquer outro, dedicado ao seu trabalho e nos primeiros passos da construção da sua vida adulta com a su...

12/01/2024

10/29/2024

Today is Global Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) Awareness Day. I thought I'd share my PSC diagnosis story.

In 2020 I started to experience a lot of itching and at the time I assumed it was allergies. I started taking allergy medication regularly as I thought that would help. As time went on the itching never went away. My partner noticed my eyes were yellowing and pushed me to check in with my family doctor. I had a phone call with them and mentioned my symptoms, immediately they requested blood work for me. The results came back abnormal and they suggested I go into emergency. Due to covid the referral to a specialist would take months.

The next day my partner and I went to emergency and I was admitted. At the time my lymph nodes were extremely swollen and they thought I could have lymphoma. I was devastated at that thought. They did a biopsy of one of my lymph nodes and a biopsy of my liver. Luckily nothing came back as cancerous for my lymph nodes, but the biopsy for my liver showed it was badly scarred (cirrotic).

I was referred to a liver specialist at Toronto General Hospital where they did extensive blood work, scans and tests. They diagnosed me with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis in 2021. It was both a relief and a new type of weight to bear. I now knew what was happening to me, but it also was scary to have to face the reality of this rare disease.

PSC is still very little understood; particularly about what can cause it exactly. In my case I felt unlucky because I otherwise led a healthy life. To hear I had this was a real shock. My own experience with this disease has left me feeling very uncertain about the future or what to expect.

I am thankful for the people in my life; my medical team and all of those who have reached out and offered their support and encouragement. That strength is what helps me to push forwards on the worst days and feel like I can pull through. Hearing the stories of others with PSC reminds me that I don’t face this challenge alone. Many people before me have pulled through with their incredible strength and stories; and I believe I can too.