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NEW BABY WHO IS IN URGENT NEED OF A LIVER HERE AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. THIS IS FIVE-MONTH-OLD MARCUS ALBERS OF WAUKESHA. HE NEEDS SOMEONE TO DONATE PART OF THEIR LIVER TO STAY ALIVE. WHITNEY IS HIS MOM. >> WE WERE TOLD THAT MARCUS HAS WEEKS TO LIVE. AND THAT WAS A WEEK AND A HALF AGO. SO IT’S PRETTY, PRETTY DIRE. >> PRETTY DIRE. >> NEITHER MOM, DAD TONY, OR ANY FAMILY QUALIFIES AS A DONOR. SO MARCUS NEEDS PART OF A STRANGER’S LIVER, GIVEN FROM THE HEART. >> WE HAD BACKUPS APPARENTLY. BUT THEY ALL FELL THROUGH TOO. SO IT’S JUST SHOCKING TODAY. TODAY WAS A BAD DAY. >> IT WAS A KICK TO THE GUT. >> MARCUS SUFFERS FROM A RARE DISEASE CALLED IMMUNODEFICIENCY 47 THAT’S ALREADY DESTROYED HIS LIVER. >> EXTREMELY RARE. THERE ARE ONLY, FROM WHAT WE WERE TOLD, THERE ARE ONLY 12 CASES IN THE WORLD. >> AND MARCUS’ TWO-YEAR-OLD BROTHER SUFFERS FROM THE SAME DISEASE AND ONE DAY WILL ALSO NEED A TRANSPLANT. >> WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE GENETIC DISORDER WHILE WE WERE PREGNANT WITH MARCUS. >> MOM, WHO’S AN R.N. AT FROEDTERT, EXPLAINS THE POTENTIAL DONOR’S PROFILE. >> EITHER O POSITIVE OR O NEGATIVE. UNDER 150 POUNDS AND UNDER THE AGE OF 40. AND IN GOOD HEALTH. NOT SMOKING. NOT A HEAVY DRINKER. >> NOT RECENTLY PREGNANT. >> MOM AND DAD SAY MARCUS HAS ALREADY FOUGHT THROUGH OTHER CHALLENGES. NOW HOPE LIES IN THE KINDNESS OF A STRANGER. >> WE’RE PRETTY POSITIVE PEOPLE. LIKE I SAID, HE’S BEEN OUR MIRACLE CHILD THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH. >> HE’S FIGHTING. SO WE HAVE TO FIGHT. >> YOU HAVE TO FEEL FOR THAT FAMILY. YOU MENTIONED THA THE BABY’S BROTHER ALSO NEEDS A TRANSPLANT. HOW IS HE DOING? >> IT IS A RARE GENETIC ORDER ONLY SHARED BY BOYS, SO THE FAMILY IS HOPING PEOPLE WILL HEAR ABOUT HIS STORY AND STEP 40 AND GIV

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A Waukesha mother and father are pleading for help for their 5-month-old boy who needs a partial liver transplant to save his life. The family has two children with the same life-threatening condition. Both sons are on the liver transplant list, but it's their son Marcus who is in urgent need of a liver at Children's Hospital. "We were told that Marcus has weeks to live, and that was a week and a half ago. So it's pretty dire," Marcus' mother, Whitney McLean, said. None of Marcus' family qualifies as a donor, so he needs part of a stranger's liver."We had backups, apparently, but they all fell through, too, so it's just shocking today. Today was a bad day," Marcus' father, Tony Albers, said. Marcus suffers from a rare disease called immunodeficiency 47 that's already destroyed his liver."(It's) extremely rare. There are only, from what we were told, there are only 12 cases in the world," McLean said. Marcus' 2-year-old brother suffers from the same disease, and one day will also need a transplant. "We found out about the genetic disorder while we were pregnant with Marcus," Albers said. Marcus has already fought through other challenges. Now hope lies in the kindness of a stranger. "We're pretty positive people. Like I said, he's been our miracle child the whole way through," Albers said. "He's fighting, so we have to fight," McLean said. Marcus' brother's health is less dire right now, but he will need a transplant. The rare disease they share only affects boys. The family is hoping someone who hears about Marcus will come forward to be a donor, so the brothers can grow up together. For those interested in being evaluated as a donor you must meet the following criteria:-- Be younger than 50 years old-- Weigh less than 150 pounds-- Have Type O bloodTo be considered as a living donor, you must complete the online form at: https://www.froedtert.com/transplant/liver-transplant/live-donor/how-to-donateOnly individuals who are a potential match will be contacted. A GoFundMe account has also been set up to help the family with medical expenses.