LA Deputy Saves Life of Colleague By Becoming Liver Donor

Deputy Jorge Castro had liver failure due to PSC.

ByABC News
June 12, 2015, 4:27 PM

— -- A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy was able to save the life of a colleague, not by drawing a gun or making an arrest, but by volunteering to becoming an organ donor for his "brother."

Deputy Javier Tiscareno offered to be donor for his colleague Jorge Castro after hearing that the 14-year veteran of the department was suffering from liver failure.

Castro said he had been diagnosed in 2014 with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a disorder that damages the bile ducts in the liver because of inflammation.

This month surgeons at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California were able to take 60 percent of Tiscareno's liver and transplant it into Castro. If there are no complications, both livers are expected to grow back to their original size, the hospital said.

At a press conference Castro said he was overwhelmed with Tiscareno's generosity.

"I never had a brother until now," Castro said, according to ABC News affiliate KABC-TV.

Tiscareno told reporters at an earlier press conference he did not hesitate to help out his friend and colleague.

"I consider the members of this department as well as members of the law enforcement community my extended family and I'm happy to help out a brother in need," Tiscareno said according to KABC-TV.

Speaking to reporters after the 11-hour surgery, Tiscareno said he was overcome when he saw Castro with his family.

"[Castro] was able to say [to his kids], 'Hey, you know, this is the guy who saved me,'" Tiscareno said per KABC-TV. "But what touched me is he says, 'Now I get to see you grow up. I get to be part of your life.' And that gave me so much happiness."

If recovery for both patients goes well, they are expected to return to work in just a few months.