CARIBOU, Maine — Former Deputy City Clerk Kalen Hill received a successful liver transplant on July 9, a procedure that seemed increasingly unlikely to happen once the COVID-19 pandemic hit and shut the country down in March.
Hill, in her mid-60s, was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer last year, and in early 2020 she said doctors at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, told her that she was near the top of the list for the life-saving transplant. But once the pandemic hit, she was told not to come down until the virus was under control.
Even without the pandemic, the procedure hinged upon several factors — she needed a full liver transplant from a deceased donor that matched her rare O negative blood type and did not have any history of heavy alcohol or drug use.
The hospital was able to line up a donor and Hill was transported to the Burlington hospital via Angel Flight New England on Thursday, July 9. Hill arrived at 4:30 a.m. and received her surgery at 11 a.m.
Hill’s friend Carol Wolfington said on Tuesday that Hill had called her the day before, just four days after her surgery.
“She sounded like her old self again,” Hill said. “She had a lot to say, and she felt a lot better than the day before.”
Wolfington said the successful surgery has given Hill a new outlook on life, and that she is thinking positively about what she can do once she returns back home to Caribou, including going on a road trip to visit friends throughout the country.
“She’s keeping her mind on positive things, and what she wants to do once she’s well again,” said Wolfington.
Wolfington said that Hill may remain in Massachusetts for up to three months as she recovers. She could return home in two weeks, but would have to make frequent trips to Massachusetts.
Hill told Wolfington she appreciates that so many people have been thinking about and praying for her.
Overall, Wolfington said she was thrilled to hear about Hill’s successful surgery.
“She’s being given this chance for another 40 years of life,” Wolfington said. “It’s quite phenomenal.”
