Maryanne Peng on Biliary Atresia, Recovery, and Living Donor Advocacy

<p>Maryanne Peng was six weeks old when she was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare condition where the bile ducts are absent or blocked from birth. She had a Kasai surgery, a procedure that works in roughly 20–25% of cases. Hers worked. Her liver is still her own, still functioning. But surviving the surgery is only the start of what Maryanne has navigated: childhood spent in and out of hospitals, medications that affected her mental health, the transition from pediatric to adult care with no real infrastructure, and years of personal struggle before finding her way back.<br /><br />Today Maryanne lives in Napa, California, is in recovery, and advocates for living organ donation. She talks with Kim Nash about what biliary atresia actually is, how the Kasai procedure works, the physical experience of living with liver disease, and why she believes the living donor conversation needs to happen far more often than it does.<br /><br />CHAPTERS/TIMESTAMPS:<br /><br />00:00 Introduction to Chronic Illness and Personal Stories</p><p>03:11 Understanding Biliary Atresia and Its Impact</p><p>05:54 Navigating Childhood with Chronic Illness</p><p>09:08 Mental Health Struggles and Drug Addiction</p><p>11:54 The Importance of Mental Health Support</p><p>15:11 Diet and Lifestyle Choices for Liver Health</p><p>17:55 The Journey to Recovery and Advocacy</p><p>21:13 Organ Donation and Living Donors</p><p>23:53 The Role of Community in Chronic Illness</p><p>26:55 Conclusion and Call to Action</p><p><br /><b><strong>CONNECT &amp; RESOURCES</strong></b><br /><br />📱 <b><strong>Instagram:</strong></b> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/taiwanesewonderwoman" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@taiwanesewonderwoman</a><br />💼 <b><strong>LinkedIn:</strong></b> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryanne-peng" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Maryanne Peng Rodriguez</a><br />🌐 <b><strong>Website:</strong></b> <a href="https://donatelife.net" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Living Donor Registry</a><br /> </p><p><b><strong>The Chronic Truth Podcast:</strong></b><br /> <br />🌐 Website: <a href="http://chronictruthpodcast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"><b><strong>chronictruthpodcast.com</strong></b></a><br />📱 Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chronictruthpodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"><b><strong>@ChronicTruthPodcast</strong></b></a><br />📘 TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@chronictruthpodcast"