Local 2-year-old needs double transplant, moved to ICU

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- Imagine living helpless in a nightmare that doesn’t seem to end.

“It’s getting bad, he’s completely changing, he’s turning yellow right in front of my eyes,” said Chelsea Pierce. 

This is the reality for Pierce who’s 2-year-old son, Maverick, has Glycogen Storage Disease Type 4, also known as Andersen Disease. 

The disease causes an abundance of glycogen to be stored in the liver, muscle or other tissues. 

When he was only one year old, his stomach discomfort began and the shape of his stomach was changing and growing rapidly.

“He’s about to be 3. He’ll be 3 on July 31 and we’re honestly just praying he makes it to his 3rd birthday and all the birthdays after that,” said Pierce. 

Maverick needs a heart and liver transplant to save his life and his doctors say they need to transplant both organs at the same time. 

“For a liver you could even get a living donor. But needing both from the same person and at the same time is a lot. And I think now we’re also praying for the family that will give those to us. Cuz I know how hard it is for us on this side, but that momma doesn’t even know,” said Pierce. 

The family doesn’t know the exact date of his surgery yet, but they are now at the top of the list… and hopeful the perfect match will be found in the next couple of weeks. 

“We’ve been preparing for this since we found out about it,” said Pierce. 

The family has been living in Cincinnati, Ohio for the past couple of months so Maverick can receive treatment from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s Transplant Team. 

Back here in Bowling Green, is a community rallying for Maverick and waiting for him to come home. 

And News 40 just found out he’s been moved to the ICU for internal bleeding. Please keep little Maverick in your thoughts.