Alfred State Electrical, Machine Tool, and Welding Technology Department Instructor Sean Kelley had lost 40 pounds in order to be able to donate a portion of his liver to save his 1-year-old son, Sawyer, who has a genetic disorder called Alagille syndrome and needed a liver transplant.

The headline on the website for Good Morning America stated, “This dad lost 40 pounds to save his son’s life: ‘It was pretty overwhelming.’” According to Dr. George Mazariegos, the infant “needed a liver transplant because his liver had decompensated so badly that even at this early age at just over a year old, he really could not survive more than a month without a liver transplant.”

As mentioned in the story, Alagille syndrome “affects multiple organs in the body, including the liver and heart. It causes liver damage and is associated with several heart problems.” The condition affects three of Kelley’s seven children.

Initially, Kelley and his wife, Josie, worked with the team at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) to find a donor. Kelley realized, however, that he himself may be able to serve as a potential donor. In order to go through the evaluation process, though, he needed to lose 40 pounds.

Kelley began the weight-loss process by tracking his caloric intake and exercising as much as possible. Finally one day at work, he received a phone call confirming that he was indeed able to be a donor for his son.

Thankfully, the transplant was a success. UPMC recorded photos and video during the family’s journey and documented how Kelley and his son were making a smooth recovery despite a few post-surgery complications.

Kelley said that he and his family, who reside in West Almond, are “fortunate they were able to have the transplant done” and that they “hope to educate others about how being a living donor can save another’s life.”

Upon its release, the Good Morning America article was one of the top stories on the program’s home page and the number one online video of the day.

Though they weren’t able to visit campus in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, prospective students and their families could still check out the offerings of several different departments – including Culinary Arts – through virtual tour videos.

In a nearly nine-minute video, Culinary Arts Department Chair Debra Burch provides viewers with an overview of what to expect when enrolling in either culinary arts or culinary arts: baking, production, and management – from facilities, to equipment, to a typical day as a student.

Several other departments and programs also featured virtual tour videos, all of which were made available on Alfred State’s COVID-19 web page and can be found on Alfred State’s YouTube channel.

Located at 3867 Foundation Drive in Wellsville, the house offers 1,769 square feet of living space, plus a 450-square-foot attached garage. Features include three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office space, covered front and back porches, a backyard patio, a walkout basement with egress windows, central air conditioning, soapstone and granite solid surface countertops throughout, and ceramic tiles in the entry, kitchen, and bathrooms.

For more information on House 55, contact the Office of the Dean for the School of Applied Technology at 607-587-3101.