VOA标准英语2010年-Three-Year-Old Boy Survives Thanks to

Josh Dwonch was diagnosed with a rare liver disease when he was a baby. His parents, humanitarian¹ workers, had faced their fair share of challenges, but nothing and no one could have prepared them for the fight of their life: saving their child.

Josh Dwonch has just celebrated² his third birthday. Like most three-year-olds, he's full of energy. But for Josh and his parents, any step he takes is a gift.

"They told us that they had identified that he had biliary atresia," said Josh's father, Andy. "We were shocked and had a bit of a breakdown³ actually because we really had prepared ourselves to hear that that was not what they would find."

The disease affects 1 in 10,000 newborns worldwide. Dr. Evan Nadler is a specialist at Children's National Medical Center in Washington D.C. He says the disease damages the bile ducts.

"What happens over time is these bile ducts become obliterated⁴ or fibrotic and basically stop bile flow from the liver and then with more time, if left untreated the liver gets backed up, and eventually leads to liver failure without instituting some sort of therapy," said Dr. Nadler.

 

Josh had surgery to attach the liver to the small intestine⁵ so the bile could drain. The procedure corrected the problem, at least temporarily.

"The doctors had prepared us that even though the Kasai procedure - which is the name of the surgery - functions, that there was still a fairly good chance that he would need a liver transplant in the future," said Andy Dwonch.

After the procedure, the family returned to Jerusalem, where the Dwonchs were working for a humanitarian organization. Everything was fine until a few days before Christmas last year when they were enroute to the US.

"Josh got a mild fever on the plane," said Josh's father. "Frankly⁶ we did not make much of it."

But it was the beginning of a roller coaster for the family.

After several hospital visits in Seattle, Josh was sent to Stanford University's Children's Hospital in California and was placed on a list for a liver transplant. At the same time, it turned out that Albana, his mother, was compatible and could be a living donor⁷.

"I felt a sense of relief together with gratitude⁸, " said Albana Dwonch. "Of course at the same time I was a little bit scared and a little bit nervous because it was a very long surgery, and most of all I was worried that after all of this would finish, I would not be able to take care of my son and Andy would have to have two patients in the house instead of one".

At the last minute, though, an outside donor was found.

The same day, after a 10-hour operation at Stanford, Josh had a new liver and a new lease on life.

"After surgery these children can live a totally normal life," said Dr. Nadler.

Dr. Nadler says no one knows what triggers biliary atresia, although there are theories.

Susan Robinson is a Vice⁹ President for Programs at the American Liver Foundation. Her organization raises money for liver research and "as part of its fundraising, engages communities around the country in a number of special events that raise money to help educate, raise awareness¹⁰ around the country," she said.

The Dwonchs learned about one of these activities, the Liver Life Walk in Seattle, and they organized a team and raised money for it.

"We both felt that there was nothing more meaningful for us than an action of support for all of those people that in a way or another suffer from different liver diseases," said Andy Dwonch.

Andy says he is grateful for the liver that saved his son, but he says the family that lost a child, whose liver Josh now has, is in their hearts.

"And it's important to also acknowledge the fact that another family suffered tremendously to pass that gift on to Joshie".

When they see their son running, laughing and enjoying every day, they feel that, for them, every anxious moment paid off.
 

1 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

2 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

3 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

4 obliterated   

v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭

参考例句：

• The building was completely obliterated by the bomb. 炸弹把那座建筑物彻底摧毁了。
• He began to drink, drank himself to intoxication, till he slept obliterated. 他一直喝，喝到他快要迷糊地睡着了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 intestine   

adj.内部的；国内的；n.肠

参考例句：

• This vitamin is absorbed through the walls of the small intestine.这种维生素通过小肠壁被吸收。
• The service productivity is the function,including external efficiency,intestine efficiency and capacity efficiency.服务业的生产率是一个包含有外部效率、内部效率和能力效率的函数。

6 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

7 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

8 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

9 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

10 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。