Former newsreader receives organ donation from viewer after heartbreaking plea
A much-loved former TV news presenter battling chronic liver problems has received an organ donation following her emotional plea.
Amy McGorry, 56, spoke in mid-March about her silent and grueling battle with autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), two chronic conditions.
McGorry desperately appealed to the public to try and secure a liver transplant that would save her life – and now she has found her perfect donor match.
The 56-year-old told News 12 that after she spoke about her story, a viewer went through the testing process on the back burner.
The donor – currently anonymous and someone known to her family – turned out to be a perfect liver match.
“I’m just so thankful and grateful,” she told the outlet. “This person is such a selfless person.
‘An incredible person who gave me the gift of life. This person needs to know that he has earned his straight path to heaven,” adding that the operation was scheduled for June 2026.
McGorry has long been known to viewers in Long Island, New York as the face of News 12 and TV55.
Former newsreader Amy McGorry, 56, has received an organ donation following her emotional plea
McGorry previously worked as a health reporter for News 12 Long Island and TV55
The 56-year-old’s condition has deteriorated rapidly in recent months, leaving her suffering debilitating and potentially fatal symptoms such as fainting, internal bleeding and dangerously low hemoglobin levels.
Without a donor, her failing liver could start to shut down other organs. She posted a heartbreaking plea on social media and asked fans for help.
‘Help me find a living liver donor that suits me. You can help save my life,” McGorry said in the tearful video, his voice breaking.
‘I can’t even believe I have to say these words, but I need a liver transplant. You can’t wait.’
Patients with PBC are often ranked lower than others on transplant lists, so McGorry couldn’t rely on the traditional system to save her.
“The problem with PBC is that you’re the low man on the list when it comes to getting a transplant,” she told the New York Post.
Her only viable option was to find a living donor: someone willing to undergo major surgery to donate part of his liver.
Former TV host Amy McGorry revealed in a tearful video how she is searching for a living liver donor as she battles autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)
McGorry has suffered fainting spells and dangerously low hemoglobin levels as her health deteriorated
“You have to find a living donor who is willing to do it – and that’s a big ask – and asks, ‘Can I have a piece of their liver?’” she said.
In her emotional appeal, McGorry explained what that would mean.
“The doctors explained that they were going to take part of this person’s liver and it would grow back in two to three months, which is pretty cool,” she said in an Instagram video. ‘The blood group is O-positive.’
Living liver donation is possible because the liver is one of the few organs that can usually regenerate within eight to twelve weeks.
The process requires a healthy donor, rigorous evaluation and a willingness to take significant risks.