Former Long Island television anchor Amy McGorry is turning to the public for help as she faces a life-threatening health battle. McGorry, 56, a familiar face to viewers from her years on News 12 and TV55, revealed that she urgently needs a liver transplant.
The veteran journalist shared an emotional message online explaining that she is searching for a living donor who could help save her life.
Amy McGorry Shares Tearful Video Pleading for Life-Saving Liver Donor
In a tearful video posted to Instagram, McGorry spoke candidly about the difficult situation she now finds herself in and the urgent need for a transplant.
“Help me find a living liver donor that would be a match for me. You can help save my life,” McGorry said in the clip.
“I can’t even believe I have to say those words, but I need a liver transplant. You can’t wait.”
McGorry has been quietly living with two serious autoimmune liver conditions for several years. She has been diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis, commonly known as PBC.
Primary biliary cholangitis, known as PBC, is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the bile ducts inside the liver, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Both diseases gradually damage the liver and can lead to severe complications if they progress. In recent months, her condition has worsened significantly.
McGorry said the illness has brought several alarming symptoms, including fainting spells, internal bleeding, and dangerously low hemoglobin levels.
Doctors have warned that without a transplant, her failing liver could eventually begin impacting other vital organs in her body.
Why McGorry Is Searching for a Living Liver Donor
Unlike many transplant patients, McGorry cannot depend solely on the traditional waiting list for a donor.
As per the National Library of Medicine, People diagnosed with primary biliary cholangitis are often placed lower on transplant priority lists, which can make it far more difficult to receive an organ through the standard system.
“The problem with PBC, you’re the low man on the list when it comes to getting a transplant,” McGorry told the New York Post.
Because of that reality, her best chance is to find a living donor willing to donate part of their liver.
“You have to find a living donor willing to do it – and that’s a big ask – to go “can I have a piece of their liver?”” she added.
Doctors have explained that living donation is possible because the liver is one of the few organs that can regenerate after surgery. “The doctors explained that they’ll take a portion of the liver from this person and it would grow back in two to three months, which is pretty cool,” she said in the Instagram video. “The blood type is O-Positive.”
McGorry said she is searching for a donor between the ages of 20 and 60 who is in good health and has O positive blood.
“If you’re not a donor, if you can please share the link, get the message out there,” she said. “I really need your help. I appreciate it, thank you.”
Friends and Supporters Rally Around the Beloved Journalist: How To Help
As McGorry’s story has spread, friends, family, and supporters have rallied around the longtime journalist.
In a message posted on her GoFundMe page, loved ones described her as someone who has spent much of her life lifting others up. “Amy has always been a source of strength and joy for our family and everyone who knows her,” they wrote.
“Now, her liver has given all it can, and she is in urgent need of a transplant. Every day matters.”
Those close to McGorry say her energy and warmth have touched many people over the years. They describe her as a journalist, teacher, athlete, and performer who brings humor and compassion into every room she enters.
Even as she faces a serious health battle, McGorry has continued advocating for others.
Next month, she plans to travel to Washington, DC, to support the Living Donor Protection Act, legislation designed to strengthen protections for organ donors, including safeguarding their jobs while they recover from surgery.
“Some people may want to donate, and their jobs won’t let them,” she told The New York Post.
McGorry says the experience has also given her a deeper sense of purpose.
“For me, it’s not just about me, I have been trying to find a reason through all of this, the “why is this happening to me?” and maybe this is my way of helping everyone,” she explained.
“This is bigger than me. It’s about hope, and maybe, just maybe, someone out there can be my miracle.”
As of this writing, 30 donors have contributed $4,770 toward McGorry’s $100,000 goal, as supporters rally around the longtime journalist during her urgent search for a life-saving liver transplant.
