At just 15, Emma Mendelssohn thought she had the flu. Instead, doctors discovered she had autoimmune hepatitis—a rare, incurable liver disease where the immune system attacks healthy liver cells. “I didn’t think I was dying,” Emma recalled, stunned as her diagnosis escalated to a life-or-death emergency.
Her liver began failing rapidly, and doctors warned she had only a week to live without a transplant. Emma didn’t hesitate: “Put me on the list,” she said. The surgery saved her life, but recovery was brutal—she had to relearn how to walk and endured years of setbacks.
By college, Emma faced another devastating relapse. This time, it was donor-mediated rejection, an extremely rare condition. Harsh immunotherapy followed, with no guarantee of success. Yet again, she chose to fight, inspired by her younger brother and closest friends.
After a second transplant, recovery was faster, though life came with new limitations. Emma now uses her experience to raise awareness. Her story is not just one of survival—it’s about resilience, choosing hope, and living fully despite a chronic illness that will never fully go away.
