NATALIE MORALES JOINS US WITH ONE FAMILYS TOUCHING STORY.
>> Reporter: HEY.
KATE NEVER THOUGHT WHEN SHE WAS A NEW MOTHER, INSTEAD OF MAKING
MOM FRIENDS, HER CLOSEST
CONFIDANTS WOULD BE THE NURSES WHO KEPT HER SON ALIVE. NURSES
WHO KEPT HER SON ALIVE. PINT-SIZED SUPERHERO FINN
OSULLIVAN LOOKS LIKE A TYPICAL TODDLER.N LOOKS LIKE A TYPICAL
TODDLER.
BUT FINNS MOM, KATE, SAYS HE IS ALSO A FIGHTER.KATE, SAYS HE IS
ALSO A FIGHTER. THERE IS A REASON THEY CALL HIM
THE MIGHTY WARRIOR FINN, RIGHT?
>> TO ME, HE IS ALWAYS A
WARRIOR.
WARRIOR.
IVE NEVER MET A STRONGER PERSON IN MY LIFE THAN MY SON.R PERSON
IN MY LIFE THAN MY SON. >> Reporter: FINN WAS BORN WITH
TWO LIFE-THREATENING LIVER CONDITIONS.REATENING LIVER
CONDITIONS.
TO SURVIVE, HE NEEDED A LIVER TRANSPLANT FROM A LIVING DONOR.
>> I FEEL REALLY LUCKY.
>> Reporter: KATES BEST FRIEND,
SARAH, WHO WAS FINNS GODMOTHER, DONATED A PIECE OF HER LIVER TO
SAVE HIS LIFE.
>> I FEEL REALLY LUCKY THAT I
WAS ABLE TO DO IT.
>> CHEERS. >> TO FINN AND SARAH.
>> Reporter: THE FAMILY
CELEBRATING THE ONE-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY OF FINNS
TRANSPLANT.
TRANSPLANT.
HOW MEANINGFUL IS THIS MOMENT TODAY?ANINGFUL IS THIS MOMENT
TODAY?
>> ITS JUST -- IT MEANS
EVERYTHING.
PERHAPS I COULD START IMAGINING AND HAVING HIM WITH A LONGINING
AND HAVING HIM WITH A LONG FUTURE.
FUTURE.
>> Reporter: THIS TIME LAST
YEAR, FINNS FUTURE SEEMED UNCERTAIN.S FUTURE SEEMED
UNCERTAIN.
YOU WERE THERE ALL DURING IT, DURING THE TRANSPLANT.ING IT,
DURING THE TRANSPLANT. YOURE THE NURSE WHO TAKES CARE
OF THEM POST-OP.
>> BEING ABLE TO DO ALL THE
CARES THAT ARE NECESSARY, BUT
ALSO BECOME BEST FRIENDS WITHIN
THE FIRST HOUR, IS ALWAYS WHATS
SO IMPORTANT TO ME.
FINNS BODY WAS PUT THROUGH A
SHOCK, BUT KATE AND THE FAMILYS
HEART WAS PUT THROUGH A SHOCK.
>> Reporter: ONCE THE TRANSPLANT
IS OVER, IT IS A NERVE-RACKING
WAITING GAME.
WAITING GAME.
>> KWLE. IT ISLE.
IT IS -- YES.
-- YES. IT IS A MARATHON.
>> Reporter: HOW IMPORTANT WAS
HER ROLE?
HER ROLE?
>> A LOT TO DO AS FAR AS
STABILIZING HIM.
I REMEMBER THE DAY.
I DONT THINK AMANDA WENT TO THE
BATHROOM OR ATE OR DRANK ANYTHING.OR ATE OR DRANK
ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW, FOR OVER 12 HOURS
STRAIGHT, JUST CONTINUOUSLY
WORKING TO STABILIZE HIM. >> Reporter: I KNOW YOU LOVE
THAT SHES LOUD, RIGHT?
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?porter: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY
THAT?
>> I, MYSELF, LIKE TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE.O BE AN
ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE. IN THAT MOMENT, IT WAS ONE OF
THE MOST VULNERABLE MOMENTS OF
MY LIFE.
MY LIFE. SHE CAME IN THAT ROOM AND
BASICALLY BECAME MY VOICE AND
TOOK ON THAT ROLE OF PROTECTING
FINN.
FINN.
EVEN THOUGH SHED NEVER MET HIM,
I COULD TELL SHE COULD SEE HIM WITHOUT ALL THE WIRES. SEE HIM
WITHOUT ALL THE WIRES. >> Reporter: NOW, HES RUNNING
AROUND LIKE A 19-MONTH-OLD
SHOULD BE DOING, RIGHT?
>> YES.
>> YES.
YOU CAN HARDLY KEEP HIM STILL RIGHT NOW.RDLY KEEP HIM STILL
RIGHT NOW. >> Reporter: THE TRANSPLANT AT
NEW YORKS COLUMBIA PRESBYTERIAN
HOSPITAL SAVED FINNS LIFE.
KATE SAID THE MEDICAL TEAM,
ESPECIALLY THE NURSES, BECAME
LIKE FAMILY.
LIKE FAMILY.
>> YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO ME.YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO
ME.
HOW MUCH YOUVE BEEN THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY THIS YEAR.EVERY
STEP OF THE WAY THIS YEAR. >> Reporter: WHY DO YOU
APPRECIATE NURSE AMANDA AND THE
OTHER NURSES SO MUCH?
WHAT DID THEY DO FOR YOU AND
YOUR FAMILY?
YOUR FAMILY? >> THEY LISTENED.
THEY ADVOCATED.
THEY ADVOCATED. THEY WERE COMPASSIONATE.
>> Reporter: YOU WROTE A NOTE TO
THANK AMANDA AND THE OTHER
NURSES.
NURSES.
DID YOU WANT TO SHARE IT WITH
HER AND READ IT FOR US? >> SURE.READ IT FOR US?
>> SURE.
DEAR AMANDA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION AND MEDICATION, FORYOUR
PASSION AND MEDICATION, FOR CARING FOR FINN THROUGH THE BLUR
OF ANXIETY AND SLEEPLESS NIGHTS.
I FELT YOU SOFTEN, EVEN AMONGST
THE COUNTLESS WIRES AND TUBES
AND MONITORS.
AND MONITORS. HE WASNT JUST A PATIENT.
HE WAS A TINY HUMAN WITH SO MUCH
LIFE TO LIVE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF HIS JOURNEY.U FOR BEING PART OF HIS
JOURNEY.
LOVE >> THIS IS SPECIAL FOR ME.
THIS IS WHY I DO MY JOB.
I THINK I HAVE THE BEST JOB IN
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD.
THIS IS JUST SUCH A GRATIFYING MOMENT BECAUSE WE GOT HERE.ING
MOMENT BECAUSE WE GOT HERE. >> Reporter: NO TUBES TODAY.
>> NO TUBES TODAY.
>> Reporter: JUST BUBBLES.
FINN, THE MIGHTY WARRIOR, AND
HIS BELOVED NURSES, CELEBRATING
HIS ONE-YEAR MILESTONE, AND MANY
MORE TO COME.
>> I MEAN, HES HERE BECAUSE OF
THEM.
YAY!
>> Reporter: KATE SAYS NURSE AMANDA WAS ONE OF A TEAM THAT
WAS CRUCIAL IN TAKING CARE OF
FINN BEFORE AND AFTER HIS
TRANSPLANT.
TRANSPLANT.
SHE WANTED US TO ACKNOWLEDGE NURSES MONICA AND SHEILA.DGE
NURSES MONICA AND SHEILA. ALSO, KATE WROTE A BEAUTIFUL
ESSAY ON TODAY.COM, SHARING MORE
OF HER APPRECIATION FOR ALL THAT
NURSES DO.
NURSES DO. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT AND BE SURE
TO READ IT.
HODA AND SAVANNAH?
>> BEAUTIFUL STORY.
>> WE DO A LOT OF GREAT SERIES,
BUT THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR SEEMS
TO BE TOUCHING A CHORD.
>> THERES SOMETHING SO SPECIAL
ABOUT NURSES.
ABOUT NURSES. I SOMETIMES THINK PEOPLE, OH,
THEY COME IN AND CHANGE THE
DRESSING OR PUT THIS IN.
THEYRE DISPENSERS OF LOVE AND
CARE.
CARE.
>> THE FINAL WEEKS OF MY
FATHERS LIFE, THE NURSES THAT
CAME IN WERE LITERALLY ANGELS ON
EARTH.
>> EXACTLY.
>> THEY WERENT JUST DOING THEIR
JOB BECAUSE ITS THEIR JOB.
THERE WAS MOREINVESTED.
THEY CARED.
>> MY SISTER HAS BEEN A NURSE
OVER 25 YEARS.
THEYRE SO DEDICATED.
>> IT IS A CALLING FOR THEM. >> LIKE TEACHERS THARKS, THEY NE
THAN ONE DAY A YEAR TO SAY THANK
YOU.
YOU.
>> TOMORROW IS A GOOD DAY FOR THAT.MORROW IS A GOOD DAY FOR
THAT.
WE WANT TO INVITE ALL NURSES, IF YOURE AROUND, COME TO THESES, IF
YOURE AROUND, COME TO THE PLAZA.
PLAZA.
WELL HAVE A BIG CELEBRATION IN