Apr 6, 2019 4 min read

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For Avery Kazakewicz, nothing says, “celebration” like chicken tenders and garlic knots from the local Chinese buffet restaurant and cake from her favorite grocery store, especially when celebrating the 3-year anniversary of a life-saving liver transplant.

Avery and her North Strabane family recently celebrated “Larry,” the donor from whom Avery received a liver during a transplant in 2015 after a diagnosis of stage 4 liver cancer when she was just 6. It has been a long road, but Avery is now caught up in her schoolwork, officially off her steroid treatments and enjoying life as a typical 10-year-old.

Life is slowly getting back to normal. Avery enjoys smiling, singing, dancing; and like other girls her age, making slime. Avery also has an interest in horseback riding, and is trying to convince her parents to make that happen.

Avery remembers everything she went through after her diagnosis – the chemotherapy, the surgery, the blood draws, the medications. Even at her young age, she understands the seriousness of her condition.

“I am surprised because I made it, since I was stage 4; but I am very happy,” Avery said. “I knew another little girl who had the same cancer as me, and she passed away.”

The hospital stays, visiting nurses, regular oncology appointments, and blood draws are now in the past. Avery must see her oncology doctors every six months and her transplant doctors every year; so thankfully, her medical appointments are no longer a part of daily life.

“I look back now and cannot believe we went through all of that. It has affected her in many ways, but she is just so amazing,” said her mom, Nikki.

Stephen, Avery’s father, was in awe of Avery’s strength, and remembers her smiling through the whole thing.

“This picture of her going in for transplant gets me,” he said. “Bald and frail, but had a smile on her face and this glow. My number one takeaway has been a deepened faith – spiritual faith, faith in humanity and faith that my wife and kids are stronger than I ever thought possible.”

Both Avery’s parents express that life is very different now.

“It has affected me in so many ways. I don’t stress out so much if I miss a hockey practice or am late to something. I push to spend more family time together, whether it’s a movie night or walking the dogs together,” Nikki said. “I really appreciate the little moments when she’s happy riding her bike or just being silly with her friends because I know how close we came to a different situation. There are times when I look at her and see her smiling, I look up to God and thank Him, for her and our son, Jacob.”

Stephen says that he can better deal with stress and has a different concept of time.

“Everything is day by day. Pray for enough strength to just get through today. Don’t look at the mountain. Just keep climbing,” Stephen said.

“I can snap back quicker and look past things now. When it is too much, I pray and try to give it up. I try to live in the moment with my kids. We lost over 3 years of both kids’ childhoods. You don’t want to lose anymore.”

Avery spends her days now like any other little girl, but she has big plans for the future.

“I want to be a nurse. I don’t want to be a doctor that does all the tests. I want to be a nurse that works with the kids. I want to work on the oncology or transplant floors.”

Avery has some advice for other children going through something like she did: “Pray a lot, never give up, and be strong.”