By JoAnn R. Walter —
Owego native Tyler Phelps has reason to feel optimistic one year following a liver transplant.
Tyler remarked, “I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
June 29 marks the one-year anniversary of when Tyler received a tremendous gift from his younger brother, Cooper, and that being a sixty percent portion of Cooper’s liver.
The procedure was performed at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), and via the Living Donor Liver Transplant (LDLT) program.
Tyler Phelps takes the field for the SHU Griffins. Following a liver transplant last year, a goal of Tyler’s was to return to the lacrosse field. He played as a midfielder and received an award for the “Biggest Comeback of the Year.” Provided photo.
Tyler, who will be 24 in August, and a 2019 OFA graduate, and Cooper, age 22, and a 2020 OFA graduate, share an incredibly close bond.
Tyler and Cooper’s father, Mike, commented, “It was probably the most difficult time in our lives,” adding, “It gives you a new perspective on things, and the bond is even closer now between the two brothers.”
Tyler and Cooper’s mother, Terra, shared, “It was very stressful before the surgery,” and now, the outlook, she said, “Is so positive.”
A life-changing experience for the entire Phelps family, Cooper concurred that the bond between the two brothers is even stronger post-surgery.
According to UPMC, more than 11,000 Americans are on the waiting list for a liver transplant at any one time. Via LDLT, a living person has a piece of their healthy liver removed and transplanted into another person to replace an unhealthy liver. Remarkably, the liver has a unique ability to regenerate (re-grow).
Cooper and Tyler Phelps, both Owego natives and OFA graduates, have a strong brotherly bond, and enjoy outdoor activities together, including hunting and fishing. Provided photo.
It was while at Seton Hill University (SHU), and located in Greensburg, Pa. (near Pittsburgh), that Tyler received answers to his medical challenges. A diagnosis of Crohn’s disease was revealed in 2020, and then in 2021, a diagnosis of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) followed, which is a disease that attacks the bile ducts and liver function. Tyler’s liver enzyme history, along with the discovery of a gene mutation, led UPMC doctors to hasten the recommendation for surgery.
Without hesitation, Cooper stepped up to donate.
Amazingly, Tyler was released from the hospital after five days, and Cooper was released after four. During the initial few weeks, they stayed nearby so that they could easily go back and forth to UPMC for checkups and follow-up tests.
Tyler’s recovery has been phenomenal, and results from his recent one-year appointment were very favorable. Going forward, blood tests and a periodic biopsy will be conducted, and then for the rest of his life he will take anti-rejection medications.
By September, Cooper noted, the portion of his liver left after surgery had re-grown to eighty percent, and shortly after returned to normal size. He will have an annual follow-up soon, and has required no medications. Cooper also had his gall bladder removed, so he remains cognizant of his diet, and overall continues to feel well.
For Tyler, he said all of the pieces since surgery have been falling into place. Today, he is focusing on his education, physical activity, eating healthy, and planning for the future.
Tyler’s health setbacks took him out of play for some time at SHU, and it was always a goal to return to the lacrosse field for the Griffins. A fond memory from OFA, Tyler and Cooper played as teammates on the first-ever Section IV OFA Boys Lacrosse championship team.
Tyler Phelps poses with a “Biggest Comeback of the Year” Award, extended to him for the 2024 SHU lacrosse season. Following a liver transplant last year, Tyler has had a remarkable comeback. Provided photo.
Tyler, a midfielder, explained that he worked extremely hard to regain strength in order to play again. During one game, Tyler scored a goal, and Terra reminisced, “There wasn’t a dry eye on the sideline.”
At the end of the season, and his last for the Griffins, Tyler received the “Comeback player of the year award,” and remarked, “I never gave up, or quit on anything.”
In May, Tyler graduated from SHU with a degree in cyber security, and in August, will begin a Master’s Degree program at SHU in cyber risk management.
Cooper continues his work at Lockheed Martin as a Mechanical Assembler, and is thankful for Lockheed’s support while he was away in Pittsburgh.
Since the transplant surgery, both Tyler and Cooper have been participating in activities that they both enjoy, and albeit, physically demanding. Whether it is hunting elk in Montana, fishing at Cayuga Lake, golfing, and even taking on a triathlon and archery challenge, liver transplant surgery hasn’t slowed either of them down.
The bond within the Phelps family also includes two younger siblings, Garrett and Julianna, and who kept things going at home during the surgery period.
The Phelps family is grateful for the support from their extended family, friends, the Owego community, UPMC, and SHU.
Terra and Mike shared, “We are sincerely appreciative of community members who reached out, and many people we didn’t even know, thank you to everyone.”
Cooper added, “I would like to encourage anyone who is interested in being a living liver donor to consider it.”
To learn more, visit www.upmc.com/services/transplant/liver/living-donor.
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