Wendy Muth Kmet Needs a Liver

05/17/2026

Well the warm…warmer weather is here and Wendy is determined to get the front garden taken care of. She sits in her gardening chair to pull weeds and give me directions! I think we are in for another beautiful summer. A trip to Menards for lemon grass, rosemary, mint and citronella plants should keep us busy.

While Wendy has been holding steady we are still on the lookout for a liver donation. Please consider sharing this post on your FB page to help us reach more people - thanks!

http://nmlivingliverdonor.org/

04/21/2026

Hi all - Wendy has found a new way to celebrate our two favorite fur babies. When Boots passed Wendy painted a portrait of Boots at a local shop. This time she decided to celebrate Boots and Fritz with a ginormous canvas print of one of her favorite pictures. Seriously this is a 4x4 portrait displayed in our "guest" bedroom.

Fritz just turned 15 but acts like he is 10. Always by Wendy's side he watches over her and alerts us when her blood sugars are high or low. I know if he could help Wendy find a liver he would!

We were told once again that our best chance of securing a liver for Wendy is through a living donation. There have been several family members that we know of and others the hospital will not provide details on that have filled out the organ donation form. Please consider being tested - this starts with filling out the form below. Once again if you can share Wendy's FB page it would be appreciated.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=jwOWJaQ-DE-u0QZutlRMO5Sl-FKEqh9Om-KZ8FKgjnZUN09FMkhMQU9LUk1HVUJDQTdPR0xDQVZMSC4u&lang=en

04/07/2026

Always a great view from the 19th floor of NorthWestern Hospital in Chicago! Wendy and I took the train down town today for her appointment. The good news is the PT is working and improving her physical fitness. The doc told us there is a relationship between exercise and liver health. I don’t think Wendy will take up running anytime soon!😁

03/24/2026

I was excited to see that the sit-com Scrubs was rebooted with new shows being released on Wednesdays. Episode 5 “My Angel” has its usual comedy but this episode was special for me since Dr. Elliot is trying to secure a liver transplant for a patient. Talk about hitting home – but what surprised me was the correct use of terminology and the anxiety that goes along with the waiting. The one term that means everything to a possible transplant recipient is the “MELD score”. Simply put this is an aggregate score that uses the results from different blood tests to determine the need for a liver transplant. The scale is 6 to 40 – the higher the number the greater the need for a transplant since there is an increase in mortality for the patient while waiting. A patient’s score needs to be around 28 to be put into the National Transplant Registery in the hope of being a match for an available organ. To me, it is the same as playing the lottery. Get the needed MELD score and have a chance for a liver from a deceased donor. There are no guarantees. As one doctor told Wendy and I there are not enough livers available for transplant.

The quickest way to expedite a liver transplant is with a living donor who has the same blood type as Wendy ( O+). This page was created to find someone who is willing to make a donation. Wendy has a MELD score that has been holding which sounds great – however, as a patient waits for the MELD score to climb other symptoms from the liver failure appear and compound the longer the wait is.

I am asking once again to please share this page with your friends and please ask them to share with their friends. The contact information for North Western Hospital is;

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.

02/25/2026

Wendy Kmet needs a liver! After surviving sepsis and experiencing many debilitating conditions it was determined that her liver had been compromised and was severely scarred. The answer to her many problems is a donated liver from a living or deceased individual. This is not an easy ask from Wendy and her family but without it Wendy does have a finite timeline.

Wendy is a quiet person, who is caring and generous to a fault as she takes care of her family. She has an artsy side that is used to show her love of the holidays by decorating the house much like her mother did when growing up. We know the season when the decorations come out! A perfect cup of coffee or at least one with flavored creamer brings her happiness. Her journey with liver disease has slowed her down in the garden where she enjoys planting and nurturing many different plants. However, this year’s roses, hanging baskets and potted displays are already being planned for.

Wendy is the youngest of seven children who displays an oversized personality developed from making sure she was not lost in the shuffle. As a mom, Wendy has always been there for her daughter celebrating accomplishments and picking up the pieces when needed. She has taught her daughter to be independent and self-sufficient.

Wendy is a fighter, who when tasked with a challenge will give it her all to accomplish her goal. Her situation has put her in a position that she cannot meet this health challenge without your help. Wendy’s large immediate family and extended family has stepped up and numerous members have been tested and were not a match. This is why I am asking your help by distributing this campaign page far and wide to reach an individual willing to make a life giving donation or perhaps for you to consider such a gift.

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 and the Donor team at Northwestern Memorial Hospital will reach out to you” Thanks for your time and consideration.

01/30/2025

Here's a picture of Wendy from a while back with her beloved pup Fritz on a visit to Florida. Wendy is still looking for a living donor, and on average it takes 3 donors to find one that's a suitable match. While she and her family are incredibly grateful for the kind words, prayers, and laughs some of you have been providing (keep 'em coming!), we've still got work to do.

Here are some tangible things you can do to help:

1. If you’re considering donating, fill out the Health History Questionnaire for the Living Liver Donor. Wendy needs people to fill this out so they can be evaluated as a potential match. That link is pinned at the top of this page.

2. Like AND Follow this page. The more activity that happens on this page, the more visible it will be, and the more likely someone who is a match for Wendy comes forward.

3. Interact with the posts on this page - Like, Comment, Share. Again, the more activity that this page gets, the more likely we are to find a match.

4. Share this page with your networks. This is probably starting to sound like a broken record, but the larger the pool, the better the odds.

01/10/2025

Dear Friends,

Wendy was diagnosed with end stage liver failure due to autoimmune disease and septic shock in 2024. Since then, she’s gone through countless tests, procedures, trips to and from the hospital, and has undergone infusions to keep her feeling herself. Her treatment options are now limited to a liver transplant.

A transplant would offer Wendy the freedom and ability to live a longer, healthier, more normal life. It will also give her more time to do the things she enjoys the most.

Finding a liver for transplant is difficult, and the average wait time for a deceased donor is five years, which she does not have. The other option is receiving a liver from a living donor.

It’s difficult making this public request, but it greatly increases Wendy’s chances of getting a transplant. Living donation of a liver is possible because the liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself, and both the liver of the donor and recipient (in this case - Wendy) regrow rapidly, reaching normal volume and function within a couple months. Living-donor transplants also have a higher success rate than deceased-donor transplants.

Some other things you should know:

• The recuperation period is usually fairly quick
• The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by Wendy’s insurance
• You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate you as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and benefits and look out for YOUR best interests

Thank you for taking the time to read Wendy’s story. If donating part of your liver to Wendy is something that you’re interested in doing, please reach out.

Living donation may not be right for everyone — but you can still help! Consider being an organ donor after death and also, help Wendy by sharing her story with everyone you know.

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.