19 Apr World Liver Day – 19th April
Given that the liver serves so many crucial functions in our body, from maintaining blood sugar levels to aiding digestion, it is critical that everyone treats it with care. World Liver Day is annually marked on 19th April to generate awareness of how important the liver is to our survival.
Some liver facts that people may not be aware of:
- It is the largest internal organ;
- It is on the right-hand side of our torso, behind our ribs;
- It can repair itself and create new healthy liver tissue;
- It is the key to breaking down and absorbing fats in our body;
- It has 1.5 litres of blood flow through it every minute.
There are over 100 liver diseases, and they can affect anyone: adults and children.
Our Board Chair and Peterborough resident Frank Carlus received a donor liver twenty-two years ago, which saved his life. Now 64 years old, Frank was in his early 30s when he found out he had Hepatitis C (HCV), a virus that causes inflammation and damage to the liver, and that the virus would cause irreparable damage to his liver.
His sense of gratitude towards the donor of his new liver is overwhelming to this day – as is his elation after becoming one of the first people in the world cured of HCV years later.
To mark World Liver Day Frank has shared his powerful story in our Autumn Quarterly, which you can read by clicking here.
For more information and resources, please visit https://liverwell.org.au/resources/ or you can contact LiverLine on 1800 703 003. You can also make an appointment with one of our GPsat the Timboon Clinic by calling (03) 5558 6088.
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