08/19/2025
Tien’s parents, Tung and Hien, never imagined their newborn daughter would need a liver transplant to survive.
Tien was born in Vietnam in 2022 and at just 10 days old she developed pneumonia. Then her skin started to turn yellow and stayed that way for two months. After months of uncertainty, doctors discovered a problem with her bile ducts. Though they tried treatments in Vietnam, her health kept declining.
Her parents moved to the U.S. in hopes of finding more advanced medical care. Tien spent more than a year on another center’s liver transplant waitlist without finding a match. That’s when Tung and Hien got news that no parent wants to hear — they might need to prepare for hospice.
But Tien’s parents weren’t ready to stop trying. Instead, they found a care team willing to try just as hard. Within weeks of transferring to our Pediatric Liver Transplant Program, Tien’s health had improved and she was on the liver transplant waitlist. And just two months later, she received her lifesaving liver donation.
Now, Tien is gaining weight, playing and smiling.
“I’m so grateful for Children’s Colorado,” Tung says. “They saved our baby.”
Hien and Tung say Tien is always smiling — especially when she gets to make a mess. She’s free to do this, and anything else she wants, thanks to the generosity of a stranger. Consider registering today to become an organ donor.
