BURTON, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 16-year-old from Burton is sharing his story of survival after receiving a life-saving liver transplant earlier this year, hoping to raise awareness about acute liver failure in young people.
Watch Christiana Ford's video report:
Nathaniel Jolly was just 15 when what seemed like a simple case of the stomach flu at a bowling match turned into a medical emergency that nearly cost him his life. Within nine days of first feeling nauseous, Jolly received a liver transplant at DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan in January.
"Once we were going down to the OR, I was like I might not come out of this," Jolly said.
The rising high school junior remembers the bowling match that changed everything.
"We were there for just a regular match. I think we were going against Atherton," Jolly said. "I just went to the bathroom. So I come back, I'm like, I don't feel good again, so I went back. That time I threw up. And my mom was like, Alright, we're going home."
Web extra: Nathaniel Jolly speaks after liver transplant
But by the time he got home, Nathaniel was quickly getting worse. His mother, Angel Jolly, noticed something alarming.
"I looked up and I saw that he was jaundice yellow," Angel Jolly said.
She immediately took him to the nearest emergency room in Flint, where doctors decided he needed to be transported to DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit.
"It was so overwhelming with doctors coming in and out the first couple days, I didn't know if my head could take any more, to be honest. It was freaky, scary," Angel Jolly said.
Extended interview: Mom talks about teen son needing liver transplant
The situation escalated rapidly. Sunday was the first time she heard the words "liver transplant." By Thursday, Nathaniel was on the donor transplant list, and by Friday, there was a match.
Dr. Najeeb Zoubi, a pediatric gastroenterologist and transplant hepatologist, explained that Nathaniel had acute liver failure.
"We think that maybe a virus of unknown name might have attacked the liver, and then when it attacks it, the liver gets destroyed, but we call it acute liver failure because it gets destroyed very fast. Within a couple of weeks, the liver can die," Zoubi said.
"In some cases, the liver cannot regenerate on its own, which was the situation with Nathaniel, and therefore we had to resort to liver transplantation as a life-saving measure for him," Zoubi said.
The close call left a lasting impression on the teenager.
"I was like, wow. If I had just not thought about it. I wouldn't have made it," Nathaniel Jolly said.
His mother, Angel Jolly, got emotional recalling the situation.
"To even think about it is scary, to watch your kid go through that," Angel Jolly said.
Zoubi says Nathaniel's situation is very uncommon, especially for someone so young, which is why it was important for him to share his story.
"Just because it happened to me, I guess just to make awareness about it," Nathaniel Jolly said.
The family also wanted to express gratitude to the medical team and the donor who saved his life.
"I do appreciate that more than anything because if it wasn't for people like them, he wouldn't be here," Angel Jolly said.
Nathaniel has a message for others based on his experience.
"Don't take life for granted. I know people hear that a lot, but don't. Seriously, spend time with people you love, make those memories," Nathaniel Jolly said.
Now recovered, he's back to bowling and preparing for the new school year. He is also attending DMC's transplant picnic on Friday to connect with other young people who have had similar experiences.
"I'm grateful for it, I am," Nathaniel Jolly said.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
