Transplant allows boy to taste ice cream for the first time

By Mike Bush

KSDK -- At meal time in High Ridge, Missouri, hope is on the menu for 11-year-old Austin Sprock.

In his young life, Sprock has been through a lot, though you wouldn't know it at first glance.

"He's a very outgoing kid, loves to be around people," said Austin's mom, Tina Sprock. "He loves baseball and loves the Cardinals."

In his bedroom is an impressive collection of memorabilia. Austin said he and his dad try to go to a dozen Cardinals games every season. But there's one ballpark tradition he's never tried -- a hot dog.

"He's not allowed to have any meat," said his mom. "No chicken, fish, not just beef; no meat whatsoever.

But Austin is not a vegetarian. He can't even have some of the stuff vegetarians can have. In fact, Austin has never even tasted ice cream.

He was born with a rare, genetic disorder, discovered at his two week check-up.

"He had a seizure in the doctor's office," said Tina.

Within a few hours, Austin had a spinal tap, an MRI, EKG and blood work. Then doctors had a diagnosis.

"They told us he had Maple Syrup Urine Disease," she said. "And we're like, 'what is that?'"

Maple Syrup Urine Disease or MSUD can be deadly if left untreated.

"(Austin) was born with a missing enzyme so he could not digest and metabolize proteins," said Dr. Jeffrey Lowell of St. Louis Children's Hospital.

Even though Austin has been on a strict diet his entire life, mostly potatoes and vegetables, he and his parents have lived in constant fear. As he got older, Austin began spending more and more time in the hospital.

"Austin started to get sicker each time he had the flu because he can't be sick. If he gets sick, he ends up (in the hospital)," said his mom.

So Austin and his family made a difficult decision. The best option for Austin to have a normal life, they decided, was a liver transplant. But the wait can be long.

"Nationally, it can be months. And for some, never," said Dr. Lowell.

Austin was on the list for all of eight hours.

"When the phone rang at 10:00, we looked at each other and said, 'no way,'" says Tina. "We picked up the phone and I'm like, are you serious?"

The surgery went well but during recovery there were complications.

"You know your child goes into this healthy, well and cracking jokes, and then comes out looking like he's been through a war. You know, it's scary," said Tina.

But Austin got better and pretty soon he was sitting up and cracking jokes.

While he might not have been anxious to get back to school, Austin was anxious for other things: all the medicine he was taking would go down a lot better with ice cream.

"So I just contacted Ben and Jerry's and they've been great and supportive," said Child Life Specialist Stacy Sedlack.

Along with friends and family, Children's Hospital threw Austin Sprock a get well party, complete with the world's largest sundae.

When Austin tasted ice cream for the first time in his life, he thought it would be like an explosion.

"More like a boom," he said.

For Austin's parents, this was not only a moment of elation but also reflection. On their minds: the donor family.

"It is actually," said Tina. "They had to lose their child for us to have this opportunity."

Only 10 days after getting a new liver, Austin is beginning a new life, ready to try all the things he's missed.

"A quarter pounder with cheese," he said. "And a Whopper!"

Sometimes when the ordinary becomes extraordinary, it's the best nourishment of all.