1-year-old in need of a new liver gets attention from the Detroit Lions
1-year-old Isaac Calkins loves snuggles and hugs too, says his mom, Carrie. The last eight months, she says, have been difficult. Little Isaac has ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, also called OTC deficiency, which means his liver can’t break down ammonia well.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A toddler in South Lyon is in the fight of his young life as he needs a liver, and his family is getting the word out about it, already reaching those at Ford Field.
What they're saying:
1-year-old Isaac Calkins loves snuggles and hugs too, says his mom, Carrie. The last eight months, she says, have been difficult. Little Isaac has ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, also called OTC deficiency, which means his liver can’t break down ammonia well.
Doctors discovered it early, but they’ve been in and out of the Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor a lot.
"They were able to treat him with meds, and he received a life-saving liver transplant at 4 months old. Yeah, so he did great initially with it. But he’s had multiple rounds of rejection," she said.
Carrie says he was reevaluated in July. He was on the deceased donor list, but on Oct. 3, he was re-listed, in need of another donor.
"This time we’re looking for a living liver donor. And it will just, you know, save his life," she said.
Carrie says a living liver donor can be anyone aged 21–55, leading healthy lives. So the family is on a mission to get the word out.
Big picture view:
Her 8-year-old son, Logan, sent a message to Lions star Aiden Hutchinson, who reposted it on his Instagram stories. Carrie is grateful for that.
"I just want to see him grow up and be healthy and happy and live a normal kid's life," she said.
The family set up ‘Isaac OTC Warrior’ pages on social media, hoping someone will reach out offering the gift of a lifetime.
"I know that God has a plan for him. And there’s a liver out there. And he’s a strong little boy. And we just need some help," she said.
Colts' Daniel Jones’ surprising comment about the Vikings has fans divided
The Indianapolis Colts have seemingly turned a stone into a diamond with quarterback Daniel Jones. Or maybe they did. Head coach Shane Steichen has had good success with quarterbacks in the past, but Jones' success might not be because of Steichen's leadership.
Jones began his career with the New York Giants and spent most of his six seasons with the team. He didn't turn the ball over a lot, but he also didn't lead his team to many points. Midway through last season, the Giants had had enough and released the quarterback.
He signed with the Minnesota Vikings but spent only a couple of months with the team. He didn't play a down for Minnesota, but for Indy's sake, this was fine. Jones was busy re-learning how to be a good quarterback in the NFL.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones gives the Vikings a lot of credit for his newfound success
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has long been viewed as one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL. He has turned struggling quarterbacks into good ones, just as he did with Sam Darnold last season. And, maybe, just as he did with Jones in only two months. Jones thinks so anyway.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Fritz and Whit show with former NFL players Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth, Jones said, "I always thought I worked really hard, I tried to work really hard...but then, going to Minnesota, I saw how Sam Darnold prepared. How Kevin O’Connell prepared those guys...Every little bit of the plan, and how they’re going to study. What they’re looking for, walking through it, quizzing each other in the quarterback room. That made a big impression on me."
That is great to hear if you are a Vikings fan. Of course, those fans likely already knew what a difference O'Connell could make on quarterbacks. What Colts fans might want to read and hear is that some of the reasons Jones is so good this season are because of Steichen, too.
What Daniel Jones is far more damning of the New York Giants, obviously. After spending so much time with that team, it wasn't until going to Minnesota that the proverbial light appeared to turn on for him. His success so far with Indianapolis has shown that the Giants were a big part of his issue, too.
But the combination of Jones' new insight, as well as the Indianapolis Colts' offensive scheme, is clearly a big reason for Jones having his best season so far. Shane Steichen deserves a lot of credit for that.
