Dominic's Story
In September of 2023, Dominic was diagnosed with pancreatitis, the swelling of the pancreas resulting in damage to the organ. It is extremely rare in children, and Dominic was hospitalized for seven days to receive supportive therapy.
Dominic would develop pancreatitis again in January of 2024 and March of 2025. He was then evaluated for total pancreatectomy islet auto transplantation (TPIAT). He met with the team from the Pediatric TPIAT Program at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, which offers care to kids with debilitating acute recurrent pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis.
In April 2025, Dominic underwent more than 10 hours of surgery to remove his pancreas, gallbladder, part of his stomach and part of his small intestine. During the surgery, the transplant team harvested 195,000 islet cells from Dominic’s pancreas. These cells, which help the body regulate blood glucose, were transplanted to his liver to serve as an “acting pancreas” that would produce insulin.
After the operation, Dominic spent four days in the pediatric intensive care unit, followed by four days on the pediatric floor.
Due to the damage to his pancreas, Dominic developed Type 3C diabetes. However, because of the transplant, he's producing enough insulin on his own to maintain his blood sugar. He is currently insulin independent and does not require use of an insulin pump any longer. This is something one of every three patients after transplant is able to achieve. He remains closely monitored by pediatric endocrinologist Kristin Arcara, who leads adjustments as needed.
Today, Dominic is growing and attending school regularly. Most importantly, he is now pain-free.