"Faye was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia (BA) at the age of two months. BA is a rare, life-threatening liver disease, and there is no hospital to treat her disease in the Sacramento area where we live," recalls Faye's mother, Yifan. Faye was taken by ambulance to San Francisco for surgery and treatment at the UCSF Children's Hospital on July 31, 2009. Though the surgery was successful, afterwards, Faye suffered three separate bouts of Cholangitis, a life-threatening infection of the bile duct system, and the family found themselves in and out of San Francisco for treatment at UCSF over the course of many months.
Three years have passed since the Baumann family were regulars at UCSF and Family House. There is now a new face in the family, Faye's healthy baby brother, Kai. Faye can never be "cured" of BA - it is a disease that will be with her for life. Unless science can discover a way to stop the progression of the disease, a liver transplant may be in her future. For now, she is healthy and vibrant.
"When she gets older, we will encourage her to participate in charity and community service. I saw many many great people during our difficult time and I want to Faye to learn from them."
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