Living his best life with a new liver

By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org

Breyman Browning has come a long way in a short time.

He went from near death as a baby to an active life as a preschooler, monster truck enthusiast and perhaps most important of all – big brother to little Lincoln.

Breyman, born with a life-threatening liver condition called biliary atresia, underwent his first surgery at just 6 weeks old, but it wasn’t enough to halt the buildup of bile that damaged his liver.

So in the fall of 2023, at just 9 months old, he was added to the transplant wait list for a donor liver, while his parents, Max and Lexi Browning of Indianapolis, anxiously waited, jumping every time the phone rang.

The call finally came four months later, the day after Lexi had undergone all the necessary testing to become a living liver donor for her son. She was prepared to undergo surgery to have part of her liver removed and transplanted into her son.

But a hero donor was identified as a match the next day, and IU Health transplant surgeon Dr. Richard Mangus and his team performed the surgery in February 2024 on a then-13-month-old Breyman.

Now almost 3, Breyman and his parents attended their first Transplant Matters program Wednesday, hosted by the IU Health transplant team just steps from Riley Hospital for Children, where Breyman was cared for before, during and after surgery.

The family was invited to the program to share their experience and connect their story to the auditorium full of team members who work in the transplant program.

As the parents spoke, Breyman stared wide-eyed at the big screen featuring photos of him from infancy to today. Some day he might better understand the gift of life he’s been given by a hero family who, on their worst day, made the selfless decision to donate their loved one’s organs.

“This is an opportunity to remind ourselves how important the work we do is to our patients and families,” said Dr. Jonathan Fridell, chief of abdominal transplant for IU Health.

That reminder in this case is in the form of a little sandy-haired boy with a big smile and a big heart for his little brother.

“He is the best big brother,” Lexi Browning said of her son, who just started preschool and loves all kinds of sports, monster trucks, cars and riding his bike.

While they acknowledge the past three years have been a bit of a blur, the Brownings have come out the other side with profound gratitude for the donor family and the team within Riley and IU Health who took care of their son.

“Shout out to the GI team (including Dr. Chaowapong Jarasvaraparn) and the transplant team who were able to give Brey life,” Max Browning said. “It puts a smile on our face every day just having Brey here with us.”

The nationally ranked IU Health transplant program is coming off a record year for liver transplants with 215 in 2024. As of the end of October this year, the team had transplanted 165 livers, 183 kidneys, 24 pancreases and five intestines.

“This number represents lives saved and second chances for our patients,” Dr. Fridell said, as thunderous applause bounced off the walls of the auditorium. “We have the privilege to be part of something that’s truly incredible.”

Learn more about being an organ donor here.

Photos submitted and by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org