Ed Henry, chief national correspondent for Fox News, revealed over the weekend he is donating about 30 percent of his liver to his ailing younger sister Colleen.
During an interview Sunday on “Fox & Friends,” Henry broke down in tears when he announced he is going under the knife Tuesday to make the donation to his sibling, a decision months in the making.
He spoke emotionally about it again Monday during an appearance on anchor Dana Perino’s midday show, “The Daily Briefing.”
Holding back tears, Henry told Perino he has been “blown away” by the number of people who have not only extended their support to him and his sister, but have shared how the Fox News correspondent’s selfless deed has inspired them to care for their own family members.
“What’s most amazing to me is people are saying I’m being selfless,” he said. “I thought I was being selfish because I wanna help my sister. Instead, I’m hearing people say, ‘You’re gonna help other people.’”
He also thanked Fox News’ “amazing” fans for their support.
Henry first shared the news of his decision in a column published Sunday on the Fox News website. In it, he wrote he is “determined to do whatever I can to give my sister the greatest gift of all, which quite simply is life.”
Unlike most of the body’s organs, the liver is capable of regeneration. Henry has been told that, within four to six weeks, both his liver and the portion he is donating to his little sister will regenerate to full size.
“Colleen and I could each have our own healthy livers — from one liver — in just over a month,” he wrote. “It is nothing short of a medical marvel, and yet doctors in this great country called America perform these miracles pretty frequently.”
Henry’s surgery is expected to last around six hours. In the operating room next door, Colleen will then undergo between eight and 10 hours of surgery to entirely remove her diseased liver and replace it with the portion being donated by her big brother.
The two siblings will have the procedures at a hospital somewhere in the northeast.
What else?
Sharing a mutual affection for the New York Yankees, liver transplant specialist Dr. John Galanti met Henry over social media. Moved by the correspondent’s decision, he appeared Sunday on “Fox & Friends” alongside Henry.
“Well Ed, first I want to say, this is — your donation is probably the ultimate altruistic act of selflessness to help your sister,” the doctor said. “I’m truly honored to be part of this discussion here with you here today and the transplant journey for your sister.”
Galanti told Henry the recovery will be “brisk” because he is in good physical condition, but warned him it will be important to work overtime to manage the ups and downs of recovering from an invasive surgery.
As for Colleen, the surgeon said everything will be broken down to milestones, explaining doctors will be evaluating her in the first 24 hours, after the first week, then after the first month, and so on.
Henry said his faith in God, along with the love and support of his wife, Shirley, and the rest of his family has given him the strength he needs to endure this massive undertaking.
“But you know, the amazing thing is, through God’s grace, I can help, and I’m going to help,” he said earlier in the show. “And she’s going to be great, as so will I, and Fox has been absolutely amazing.”
Describing his sister as “humble” and his wife as his “rock,” Henry is eager to step up to the plate for his family.
Colleen hasn’t spoken publicly about the upcoming procedure, but in a text to Henry, she wrote, “It is truly a heartwarming story about the love [and] bond between a brother [and] sister.”