Bruce Schwartau

Bruce Schwartau saw his daughter, Laura, graduate from high school and start college. A few years ago, he was uncertain he'd be there for those occasions.

Almost 15 years ago, Bruce was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a condition in which the bile ducts inside and outside of the liver become inflamed and eventually obstructed. Liver transplantation is the only effective treatment for patients who reach advanced stages of the disease.

For years, Bruce was able to function with the condition. "Sometimes my chest ached from fluid retention, and I had leg cramps that lasted for hours," he says. Work took his mind off his discomfort. As his condition worsened, all he did was work and sleep. His university teaching position involved traveling to communities in southern Minnesota. When driving became difficult, friends and family drove him to work. Then, more than a decade after his diagnosis, he had to take a medical leave from work and was hospitalized at Mayo Clinic to await a liver transplant.

Bruce's MELD score (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) was 40. The score represents how urgently a person needs a transplant to survive. For adults, the scores range from 6 to 40, with higher numbers indicating a more urgent need for a transplant. Without a transplant, the three-month mortality for a person who has a score higher than 30 exceeds 75 percent. At a score of 40, the need for transplant is critical.

"I knew there was a good chance I would not receive a liver," says Bruce. "I tried to live as though the end were coming soon. Every time I said goodbye to someone, I realized it could be the last time."

Bruce's transplant surgery lasted more than six hours. He returned home 11 days after surgery and returned to Mayo Clinic for checkups during the first several weeks. During those first weeks, he got to know other liver transplant recipients at Mayo Clinic and looked forward to seeing them at checkups.

"We shared an emotional experience together as we waited for a chance at life," says Bruce.

Five months after the transplant, he returned to work part time. A month later, he returned full time. Within a year of transplant, Bruce was managing one of the most popular community economic programs in the state for the University of Minnesota.

Today, several years post-transplant, Bruce appreciates that he can play 18 holes of golf without using a golf cart.

"Before I became ill, I routinely walked 18 holes of golf," he says. "When I was really ill before my transplant, I couldn't even go 18 holes with a cart. It's a joy to be able to play a full 18 holes and walk. To many people, that doesn't mean much. But I know what it's like to be weak, so I greatly value my newfound strength."

It's important to Bruce to use his experience to help others. He contacts others who have the same condition and are awaiting transplant. "They appreciate talking to someone who has 'been there' already and can help them prepare for what is to come," he says. "Knowing that not everyone will get the liver transplant they need due to a shortage of donated organs helps me stay appreciative of the gift I have received. I also have become more appreciative of Mayo Clinic and the significant resource it is to this region and beyond."

Bruce volunteers for LifeSource, the nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation in the Upper Midwest. In the last several years, he has spoken to approximately 900 high school students in his area about the importance of organ donation. His wife, Deborah, daughter and friends often accompany him on these speaking engagements.

"High school kids are at an age when they are getting their driver's licenses and making decisions about whether to indicate they want to be an organ donor," says Bruce. "It's the perfect time to reach them with this message. I encourage them to share their feelings about organ donation with their parents.

"Most of these kids haven't met someone who has had an organ transplant, so I put a face on the issue," he says. "I'm glad to be the local poster boy if it helps someone else get the gift of transplant that I've received and live to see their children graduate or pass another milestone."