Photo By Airman 1st Class Carissa Fisher | Airman First Class Carissa Fisher poses with Ezra Toczek after receiving news she was...... read more read more
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In 2022, New York Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Carissa Fisher, a drill-status guardsman assigned to the 107th Attack Wing, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, was working at her full time job, a preschool teacher with Precious People Daycare in Alden NY, when she met Ezra Toczek—a spunky, wide-eyed three-year-old with a scar that hinted at a much deeper story.
Two years later, she would become his living liver donor.
“It wasn’t something I ever imagined happening,” she said. “But when my mom showed me a Facebook post from Ezra’s mother, everything changed.”
The post, shared in April 2024, explained that Ezra—now five years old—was in end-stage liver failure and in urgent need of a transplant. His mother, Karen, was asking if anyone with type O blood might be willing to consider becoming a living donor.
Thanks to her military service, the Airman already knew her blood type: O. “As luck would have it,” she said, “that’s exactly what Ezra needed.”
Fisher began her military career back in 2021, enlisting with the neighboring reserve unit, the 914 Air Refueling Wing, also stationed in Niagara. Assigned to the wing Public Affairs office, she transferred to the Texas Air National Guard shortly after completing her six month technical training in 2022, to pursue educational goals. She made the decision to return home and transfer to the 107th Attack Wing, 'to help people in her home community' in 2023, where she continues her career in Public Affairs.
The post included a QR code linking to a donor screening application. Without hesitation, she scanned the code and submitted her information. Just three days later, she received a call from New York University's Langone Health’s Liver Donation Center, inviting her to New York City for extensive testing—CT scans, MRIs, bloodwork, and a series of other evaluations to ensure she could safely and successfully donate.
“I thought this part would be fast,” she admitted. “You run the tests, compare results, and schedule the surgery. But it wasn’t like that at all.”
The wait for confirmation stretched into days of mounting anxiety. “I kept my phone right next to me, waiting for someone—anyone—from New York University to say those three words: ‘You’re a match.’”
When the call finally came, she was told she was the perfect candidate. Overwhelmed with emotion, she made a sign for Ezra that read, “Hey Ezra! Would you like to share my liver with me?” His answer was a resounding yes.
The transplant was scheduled for August 2024, with the understanding that it could be moved up if Ezra’s condition worsened.
Before the operation, the Airman entered a mandatory two-week reflection period, a standard safeguard to ensure donors are emotionally and mentally ready. “But I never had doubts,” she said. “I felt called to help. If I were Ezra, I would want someone to do the same for me.”
The surgery itself was a minimally invasive procedure, removing about 30% of her liver via robotic-assisted incisions. She was brought into the operating room a few hours before Ezra so that the transplant could happen as quickly and safely as possible.
Both procedures were successful.
Recovery, however, was far more demanding than she had anticipated. “They had me walking just hours after waking up,” she recalled. “The pain, the fatigue—it was intense. Every day was a new physical and emotional challenge.”
She spent nearly two days in the ICU and several more on the transplant floor. While still in the hospital, she saw Ezra for the first time after surgery. “That was one of the most emotional moments,” she said. “He looked so small and fragile, but he was fighting. And he was doing well.”
Once released, she stayed in New York City at a nearby Airbnb to complete her initial recovery, while Ezra remained in the hospital due to complications that required extended monitoring.
As part of her healing, she was required to walk daily—so she chose to walk to the hospital as often as possible to visit Ezra and his mother. “I even got to see him reach a huge milestone—walking the furthest distance he had since the surgery. That made everything feel worth it.”
After a month, she was cleared to return home, but the healing process continued. Her recovery included months of activity restrictions, weeks of no driving, and ongoing pain management. Ezra remained in New York for two additional months before being discharged.
Now back home, the two still keep in touch and reunite when possible. They saw each other again around Christmas and for Ezra’s sixth birthday in February.
Donating part of her liver, she says, wasn’t just about the medical act—it was about answering a personal calling rooted in her values as both a person and a service member.
“Donating part of my liver to Ezra wasn’t just about saving a life. It gave mine even deeper purpose.”
When asked if she would do it all again, her answer is simple: “Absolutely.”
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2025 12:29 |
| Story ID: | 495528 |
| Location: | NIAGARA FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | ALDEN, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | BUFFALO, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From Airman to Donor, by CPT Jason Carr and A1C Carissa Fisher, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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