Decatur mother defies odds, recovers from severe liver disease

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — WAND first met Kelly Springman in February 2024. The Decatur mother was in dire need of a liver transplant after suffering from non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver.

Springman was first diagnosed with fatty liver disease when she was 28. It was throughout her 20s, 30s, and 40s she struggled with health issues, constantly feeling tired.

In 2017, Springman had just gotten engaged to her now-husband Rob. She ended up getting very sick and was rushed to the hospital. Doctors soon told her she had cirrhosis of the liver.

"We had just been to the doctor and he ran tests, but never told me."

Kelly Springman and her daughter, Mikkenzi Edwards, embrace one another.

That's when Springman's health began to take a turn. She found a doctor at Northwestern University who told her she needed a new liver.

At that point, it was on her family to campaign. Her daughter Mikkenzi Edwards created a Facebook page to gain some attention and find her mother a liver.

"You have to have the specific phone number, specific email address to get everything connected to Northwestern," she said.

Edwards was attending Ball State University and majoring in Public Relations and Strategic Communications. She built her mother's LivR4 Mama Kelly, sharing stories about Springman's health journey and details about her family.

"We wanted to make sure that everyone knew who my mom was and get to know her," said Edwards.

The page gained momentum and at one point Edwards recalled one of the posts getting 19,000 views. Support was pouring in for Springman.

"It kind of gave me goosebumps to think about."

Springman's story began to spread. In February 2024, while she was in a hospital bed in Chicago, Springman video chatted with WAND News. At the time she was at the top of the transplant list, but things weren't looking good.

That's when Heather Larson saw WAND's story and decided to help.

"God was telling me 'Heather it's ok, this is what you need to do.'"

Larson decided to sign up to be a match. She went through various tests and scans, hoping she could be the one to help save Springman's life.

"I got a call from Lori and she said you're a perfect match," said Larson.

It was set. Plans were in motion and Larson was ready to give Springman part of her healthy liver. However, Springman's health began to take a turn for the worse and a living donor was no longer going to help.

"Kelly was on the verge of death," said Rob Springman, Kelly's husband.

The Decatur mother was hooked up to a ventilator and her health was deteriorating. Instead of a living donor, doctors found Springman a deceased donor's liver. While it wasn't in her original health plan, Springman knew it was her only chance at life.

"It was a miracle that they even performed the procedure," said Rob.

After the surgery, both Rob and Kelly's daughter saw a complete change in Springman.

"She looked like a completely different person as soon as she had that liver circulating her blood the correct way," said Edwards.

But, life wouldn't be easy for Springman following the surgery. She suffered from complications and needed serious rehab to gain her strength back.

While each day still brings its challenges, Springman said her faith is what helped her get through the tough days.

"God is number one, you know, he saved me many times. He must have a mission for me and my family," she said.

While recovery is still slow, once Springman gains her strength back she wants to share her story and help educate the community about fatty liver disease. She hopes her story can help prevent someone from ending up in a hospital bed and on the transplant list like her.

Springman wants to thank everyone who supported her and her family throughout her health journey. While she wasn't able to read all of the Facebook comments and posts, she could feel everyone's prayers. Her goal next is to help start a fund for patients' families like hers at Northwestern.