MIAMI (WSVN) – It\u2019s the story of a sick newborn brought to a neonatal intensive care unit. Courtney Allen shares his story and his mother\u2019s mission to let other parents know about a rare and life-threatening hereditary condition.<\/p>\n
Henry Dotson has a way of lighting up a room. He\u2019s the center of mom Amanda and dad Ryan Dotson\u2019s universe.<\/p>\n
But this happy, adorable 1-year-old has been through more in his short life than most people can imagine.<\/p>\n
Amanda: \u201cThere were days that I thought that we were never gonna get past it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Within hours of being born, Henry got fussy and refused to eat. That\u2019s when a nurse took his temperature and made a startling discovery.<\/p>\n
Amanda: \u201cHe was cold. He was hypothermic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry was rushed to the Neonatal ICU, where doctors determined Henry had a rare and dangerous condition called Ornithine Transcarbamoylase (OTC) deficiency.<\/p>\n
Amanda: \u201cIt affects the way his body processes protein, so it turns into toxic ammonia.\u201d<\/p>\n
People with OTC deficiency lack a liver enzyme that rids the body of ammonia. Henry was immediately put on dialysis and given a strict diet to keep his ammonia levels in check.<\/p>\n
Amanda: \u201cI found out when he got diagnosed that I was also a carrier of OTC and that\u2019s how he got it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Women with OTC deficiency often have mild symptoms. Some, like Amanda, aren\u2019t diagnosed until they give birth to a male child who becomes critically ill.<\/p>\n
Amanda: \u201cI had no idea that I had it.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are only two cures for OTC deficiency\u2014gene therapy, which Henry wasn\u2019t a candidate for, or a liver transplant. The family traveled to Miami to see if they could get Henry on the transplant list.<\/p>\n
Dr. Stefany Hernandez: \u201cIt\u2019s truly quite revolutionary of a program because we provide many types of transplants that are quite rare.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doctor Stefany Hernandez heads the pediatric liver transplant program at the Miami Transplant Institute. She says testing confirmed Henry was a good candidate for a new liver.<\/p>\n
And after two months on the list\u2026<\/p>\n
Amanda: \u201cWe got the call at 6 a.m. It came to my husband\u2019s phone. He just looked at me, and he was like, \u2018They have a liver. We need to go.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry was rushed into surgery.<\/p>\n
Dr. Stefany Hernandez: \u201cWe were able to get him what he truly needed, a liver.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a successful surgery, the Ronald McDonald House housed Henry and his family for free as he recovered.<\/p>\n
Amanda: \u201cWe haven\u2019t had to worry about a hotel. We haven\u2019t had to worry about meals. We haven\u2019t had to worry about travel.\u201d<\/p>\n
And the family was recently able to reunite with Henry\u2019s surgical team.<\/p>\n
Henry is still working on milestones like learning to crawl, but with the biggest hurdle out of the way, Amanda says she\u2019s looking forward to baby steps.<\/p>\n
Amanda: \u201cI am going to look back, and I\u2019m going to say, \u2018Wow, I cannot believe that we went through that.\u2019 I want to just relax and be able to be his mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
A mom who can watch her little boy thrive after a life-changing gift.<\/p>\n
Courtney Allen, 7News.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n
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