For Dan Carr, a fire fighter/EMT and trustee with Allegany County, MD Local 1715, the road to a lifesaving liver transplant began with a symptom that seemed harmless.
“It started very simply,” Carr said. “My body was itchy, so I went to a dermatologist because I thought it was skin related.”
Carr was later diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a rare liver disease caused by inflammation of the bile ducts. Over time, scarring and narrowing of the ducts damage the liver, reducing its ability to filter blood and aid digestion.
According to the Mayo Clinic, PSC is rare, affecting up to 1 in 10,000 people.
“The only cure for that is a liver transplant,” said Carr.
Carr’s condition worsened when he developed cholangiocarcinoma, a type of bile duct cancer caused by PSC. Placed on the transplant list in Pittsburgh, his story quickly spread through the fire service community via social media. It caught the attention of Stacey Holden, a fire fighter/paramedic with Annapolis, MD Local 1926.
“I was just scrolling on social media before getting ready for bed, and I stumbled across the post that said another IAFF member here in Maryland needed a living organ donor for a liver,” she said.
She submitted an inquiry and waited for months until she received the call confirming she was a compatible donor.
“It was an absolutely awesome feeling,” said Holden. “For them to think that I was going to be a good fit, I felt very grateful and honored.”
The surgery was scheduled just before Thanksgiving. Carr learned the identity of his donor while recovering in the ICU.
This is what brotherhood and sisterhood look like in action –fire fighters taking care of fire fighters, without hesitation.
Local 1715 President Steve Corioni
“It just brought me to tears, honestly. Just the compassion, the selflessness. It’s everything that the fire and EMS service is about,” Carr said.
Now recovering, Carr says the transplant gave him his life back.
“For the first time in years, I feel like myself again,” he said. “I wake up every day with a smile on my face. I can’t wait to get the energy back and get back to work.”
Holden says the experience reinforced why she joined the fire service. “It is definitely a sense of pride as well as knowing you did everything you could to help assist another fire fighter’s life,” she said.
Local 1926 President Joe Pilat praised the act.
“Stacey’s decision to become a living liver donor for fellow IAFF member Dan Carr is one of the most selfless acts any of us will ever witness,” he said. “Her courage and compassion embody the very best of the fire service and remind us what true brotherhood and sisterhood look like.”
Local 1715 President Steve Corioni echoed that sentiment.
“The actions taken by Stacey Holden and the Annapolis Fire Department family represent the very best of the fire service,” Corioni said. “This is what brotherhood and sisterhood look like in action –fire fighters taking care of fire fighters, without hesitation.”
Carr now speaks openly about the power of organ donation.
“When I first got my driver’s license at 16 years old, I signed up to be an organ donor,” he said. “Then in my 20s, I decided I didn’t want to be an organ donor anymore, and I’m ashamed of myself for having made that decision. I am once again an organ donor, and I am an advocate for it. Obviously, it saved my life.”
For Carr and Holden, the experience created a lifelong bond.
“She’s now part of my family for life,” said Carr.
