A Chance Encounter at PSC Partners Conference Sparks Hope and Leads to a Life-Saving Liver Transplant
Madison, WI & Denver, CO – August 27, 2025 – What began as a quiet journey carried in silence for three decades has transformed into a powerful story of connection, courage, and hope.
Michelle Murphy of Madison, Wisconsin, was diagnosed at 19 with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a rare and progressive liver disease that can lead to liver failure. For 30 years, she kept her diagnosis private. But in 2024, after learning she needed a liver transplant, Michelle made the bold decision to share her story publicly in hopes of finding a living donor.
At the PSC Partners Annual Conference in Phoenix in October 2024, Michelle wore a shirt that read “Scan to save a life. Help me find a living liver donor.” The shirt featured a QR code linking to her donor search. She didn’t know it then, but that simple act of courage would lead her to an extraordinary connection.
Brooke Babcock, from just north of Denver, attended the same conference with her 18-year-old daughter, who is also living with PSC. Brooke was already three-quarters of the way through the process of becoming a living liver donor, determined to help someone in need. She was also mindful of timing since she was nearing the age limit for living donation.
“I was struggling with how to help my daughter,” Brooke recalled. “She doesn’t need a liver right now, but I was ready to give mine to someone who does. Then I saw Michelle’s shirt. It felt like fate.”
Brooke approached Michelle, introduced herself, and said the words Michelle had been waiting to hear for over a year: “I am becoming a living donor, and I would like to see if I can give you my liver.”
Michelle remembers the moment vividly. “I had tried everything, from Facebook groups to car stickers to telling my story to anyone who would listen. When Brooke asked my blood type and I told her O, and she said she was also O, I couldn’t believe it. I was in shock and started crying.”
After nearly a year of evaluations and testing, Michelle and Brooke received life-changing news in August 2025. They were approved to move forward with transplant. On August 26, 2025, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Brooke donated a portion of her liver to Michelle.
The earliest Brooke will receive medical clearance is September 9, 2025. Her hope is to be healthy enough to attend the PSC Partners Conference at the Grand Hyatt in Denver, September 12 - 14, where she plans to share her inspiring story of connection, courage, and the life-saving impact of living donations.
“My dream is to walk into the Denver conference as a donor and show others what is possible,” Brooke said. “If sharing my story helps even one more person find their match, then every moment of this journey has been worth it.”
Both women now share a mission to raise awareness about PSC and the life-saving potential of living liver donation.
“Being a living donor should not feel so hard,” Brooke said. “If our story can break down some walls and help even one more person find their match, then it’s all worth it.”
