Aspermont mother receives life-saving liver transplant after birthing emergency

ASPERMONT, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – A Big Country mother and her newborn child are currently separated because of a drastic medical emergency. Kendra Olson was forced to give birth by cesarean to her daughter one month before her due date, but because of Kendra’s declining condition, the mother and newborn are now at separate hospitals.

What initially appeared to be just a simple headache led 23-year-old pregnant Kendra Olson on a harrowing journey that spanned three different medical facilities. In just a few short days, she experienced the premature birth of her daughter, slipped into a coma, and ultimately underwent a liver transplant to address her severe medical decline.

Holly McLaury is Kendra’s boss at the District Clerk’s Office for Stonewall County. In addition to her role at the office, she is organizing various events in the area to raise money for Kendra’s medical expenses.

“We are having a silent auction, doing a goat roping, and there was a t-shirt fundraiser. People have just been sending monetary donations to the bank, to her mother and dad’s account, just to try to help them with the expenses of being in Dallas, not getting to work,” McLaury shared.

The goat roping fundraiser will take place on Saturday, March 15, at the Stonewall County Livestock Sale Barn. Cody Myers, the County Agricultural Extension Agent, is assisting in organizing the event. Agent Myers noted that after the announcement of his involvement, many community members quickly reached out to him to offer their support for the fundraiser.

“The minute we set this thing up, they’re sending text messages or phone calls. ‘Hey, what can I do to help? What can I do to help?’ We just want to get the word out, and I hope this whole parking lot is full,” Myers said.

The extreme nature of the circumstances surrounding Kendra Olson’s medical journey has caught attention state-wide and beyond. Olson’s family say they are bombarded with messages on social media from those in other states sending their prayers and well wishes to Kendra. Kendra’s mother, Mylinda Olson, spoke to an encounter she had while tending to her daughter at a Dallas hospital.

“A girl came up to me, a young lady that’s having cancer treatments there, and she said, “excuse me, I don’t mean to bother you. I just want you to know I recognize you from social media and I’ve been praying for you.”

All of the medical treatments that Kendra has undergone has left her with memory loss from the past two weeks, so she does not remember the delivery of her daughter. Kendra is currently in a hospital in Dallas recovering from the vital liver transplant needed to save her life, but her daughter is still in the NICU department at Hendricks in Abilene. Luckly, the infant girl’s health is well and will soon be discharged from the NICU in order to finally reunite with her mother this week.

For anyone looking to help Kendra and her family you can do so by contacting Holly McLaury at the Stonewall County District Clerks office in Aspermont.