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Faith brings families together

Members of the Westby and Luft families were drawn together last July when Logan Luft's liver was donate to Faith Westby. From left are Peter and Jeannie Westby, their daughters Haley and Faith Westby; Landon and Lilly Luft and their parents Wendy and Leonard Luft. Photo courtesy Fagan Studios
Members of the Westby and Luft families were drawn together last July when Logan Luft’s liver was donated to Faith Westby. From left are Peter and Jeannie Westby, their daughters Haley and Faith Westby; Landon and Lilly Luft and their parents Wendy and Leonard Luft. Photo courtesy Fagan Studios

To The Press

Most people are lucky if they have one loving family. Faith Westby has three.

Faith, of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, is a sweet, charismatic 15-year-old girl living with a rare, multi-system disorder. During an annual checkup for the girl who already has had heart surgery, doctors diagnosed her with a large atypical adenoma on the left side of her liver and multiple adenomas on the right side as well.

She needed a new liver.

“When we first learned that Faith needed a liver transplant, it felt like our world had been turned upside down,” said Faith’s mom, Jeannie Westby.

“It was territory we knew nothing about and it scared us. Her health was never the greatest, but learning that she had cancer in her liver and that she needed a transplant was a complete shock,” Jeannie Westby said.

“We were afraid for our family — and for the family that would be donating the liver that would save our daughter’s life.”

On July 4, 2017, the Luft family of Charles City was spending the holiday with friends. Logan Luft, a full-of-life 15-year-old boy, was thrown from his ATV, resulting in bleeding in his brain. He was airlifted to Saint Marys in Rochester, but it was too late.

Logan was pronounced brain dead on July 5. His parents, Wendy and Lenny Luft, prayed that his organs would be used to save multiple lives.

They were.

On July 7, Jeannie and Peter Westby received a phone call they had been waiting for since Faith’s diagnosis. Faith was going to receive a new liver.

“I learned about Faith’s liver transplant on Facebook,” said Wendy Luft. “Her story encouraged me to start looking for the recipient family.”

The Westbys were told that the liver came from someone in the tri-state area, but they did not receive any additional information. A news broadcast about Logan made them think about the possible connection to the Lufts, but it wasn’t until Jeannie received a Facebook message from Wendy that they learned the truth.

“I knew from the very beginning that it was Logan’s liver,” Jeannie said. “My heart was broken for their family. It was hard to understand how I could feel so much joy (for Faith) and so much sadness (for Logan and his family) at the same time.

“We waited anxiously for this call, but we also dreaded it.”

Jeannie did not respond to Wendy’s message immediately, scared that the Lufts would be disappointed with the way their son’s liver was used, or rather, who it was used to save. But that fear was washed away with happy tears after the two finally connected.

“I was scared to death,” said Jeannie. “I was afraid that they wouldn’t like us or that they would be disappointed that Logan’s liver went to a girl with special needs. But we became a family.”

Faith has Kabuki syndrome, a rare multisystem genetic disorder that causes several medical complications involving distinct facial features, growth delays, intellectual disability and other symptoms.

“I was so excited to meet Faith,” Wendy Luft said. “Our families bonded instantly. Jeannie showed me Faith’s incision and said, ‘Your DNA is a part of my daughter, so she is your daughter, too.’ It was a moment I will never forget.”

Logan and Faith are forever connected, as are the Westbys and Lufts. They refer to each other as a second family. And, according to Jeannie, the Westbys have a third family.

Faith was born with her disorder and faces a lifetime of complex medical needs. Her needs directed her and her family to Mayo Clinic for treatment. Mayo Clinic directed her and her family to the Ronald McDonald House of Rochester, Minnesota, for comfort and care.

“Walking through the front doors (of the Ronald McDonald House) was like walking into a completely different world,” Jeannie said. “It’s such an uplifting feeling; you feel loved. It is home, it is comfort and it has brought Faith and our family so much joy.

“The staff and volunteers are our family.”

After long days of hospital visits and recovery, Faith’s nights were filled with crafts, campfires and therapy dogs. The family was able to stay together, eat together and laugh together.

“Faith is a girl that loves people and all the activities were perfect for her health and happiness,” Jeannie said. “The House has given us so many wonderful experiences and lifelong memories.”

While Faith enjoyed being a kid, her parents enjoyed the sense of community. Families at the House are supported by staff, volunteers and other guest families. It’s a support system that is special and unique. And the Westbys wanted to share that community with the Lufts.

“They invited us to the House to show us where they lived after Faith’s surgery,” said Wendy. “And we were amazed. It’s such a blessing to have a place like that for children and their families. It’s beautiful. … It is home.”

— From the Ronald McDonald House of Rochester, Minnesota; Jacob Dreyer, communications director.

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