Lewes 21-year-old needs your help to get a liver

LEWES, Del.-Lewes 21-year-old, Matthew Barry, has been dealing with a failed liver for over 3 years now. Matt graduated high school in 2019 and had big plans to go into the military, but that all changed in the blink of an eye.

“Wasn’t feeling well one day; I ended up going to the doctor from there they told me to go to the ER because I had such a high fever from Beebe Healthcare they sent me up to Einsteins Children’s Hospital in Pennsylvania and then I went to University of Penn where I’m waiting for a liver transplant,” Barry said.

Matt said he’s had genetic tests done and blood tests ran, but doctors don’t know why his liver has failed. Now, with a recommendation from experts to get a liver transplant he’s at a standstill waiting for his perfect match.

“They go off a universal system for scoring so the higher you score, the more likely you are to get a liver, but since I’m not associated with drinking or smoking or doing any type of illegal drugs my score isn’t as high as they want it to be to be offered a liver,” Barry said.

And, Matt said this time of waiting hasn’t been easy; it has affected his entire life.

“It’s tough, it’s definitely tough, it’s put a strain on my body, it’s put a strain on my work ethic,” Barry said. ” I normally do surf fish, I can’t surf fish currently, I can’t go into the beach because of the salt water because it has so much sodium.”

But with community support, like Delawares Beach Storage Center owner, who donated a sign, Matt is pushing through and he’s hopeful someone will come to his rescue.

“Just try to help as much as you can , see if you’re a match possibly, I know it’s hard for some people to think about that, but it would definitely help me out,” Barry said.

We’re told anyone who is O negative or O positive is eligible to donate to them and they need to be in good health.

If you would like to learn more about Matt and how you can help, click here.