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Mount Holly family thankful after rare surgery saves 17-year-old son

By Elsa Gillis
By Elsa Gillis

MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. — This Thanksgiving is a little different for Bailey Frair, his mom and the rest of their family in Mount Holly.

"I think we can actually see that light at the end of the tunnel," said Lisa Belcher, Bailey's mom.

This time last year, the 17-year-old was on dialysis, unable to eat the typical Thanksgiving foods. He was exhausted and nauseous, waiting for a new kidney and liver.

"It was rough," Belcher said.

Bailey was already unique. As a six-month-old, he had been diagnosed with a rare liver disorder and was the smallest patient in Levine Children's Hospital history to get a liver transplant.

But as he grew up, his kidney started to fail, and it was discovered that he needed a new liver too.

"Bailey does everything kind of outside the norm, we joke with him all the time about that," Dr. Susan Massengill told Channel 9. Massengill is the head of Levine Children's Hospital's Nephrology Center of Excellence and has cared for Bailey his whole life.

In June, she was the one to deliver the happy news that a double match had been found.

"He was all grins," Belcher said. "I don't think he ever stopped smiling, and other people noticed it, and so we kinda knew that it was God letting us know, this was it."

In July, Bailey underwent a three-day combined liver and kidney transplant, the first one ever performed at Levine Children’s Hospital.

"The need to do a combined kidney/liver transplant is a very rare occurrence," Dr. Massengill said, "It's probably only been done a handful of times throughout the country."

"He never showed any fear, he was just ready," Belcher said. "I think he had waited so long for this."

The recovery has been rocky, but finally, Bailey told Channel 9, "I'm feeling great."

"Someone has made the ultimate sacrifice and blessed our family to allow Bailey another chance at life," Belcher said. "It just gives a new meaning to Thanksgiving."

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