KC area Pizza Ranch to raise funds for baby with life-threatening liver disease
The Pizza Ranch in Independence is holding a fundraiser next week for an 8-month-old baby girl with a rare liver disease.
At three weeks old, Olivia Dildine was diagnosed with biliary atresia. This condition means Olivia’s bile ducts are blocked, so bile builds up in her liver and damages it, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Olivia has already undergone major surgery, but her condition has worsened and she needs a liver transplant. Researchers estimate one in 12,000 babies in the U.S. get biliary atresia, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“From since she was born, well, one month until eight months, we’re in the hospital nine times, roughly a week each time,” Preston Dildine, Olivia’s father, told The Star.
Olivia’s family is currently in the process of getting her transplant approved, according to the “Olivia’s Story” Facebook page. They are also trying to raise funds for copays, travel to and from the hospital, prescriptions and daily living expenses.
Olivia’s mom, Ciera Chronister, plans to take a leave of absence from work to care for Olivia full-time as they “approach transplant and more intense medical needs,” according to a GoFundMe created for the family.
On July 22, 15% of all sales from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Pizza Ranch in Independence will go directly to Olivia’s family. Those who want to participate must say they’re there for Olivia.
Family and friends of Olivia will also be cleaning tables and refilling drinks, and they will get to keep the cash tips. Chaylie McCloud, associate general manager at Pizza Ranch, said the restaurant will also put out buckets for cash donations.
Baby Olivia
Olivia is the youngest of four daughters. Her sisters Jaelinn, Bella and Paislee are 16, 13 and nine. Dildine said the family has been sticking together through Olivia’s medical troubles. Jaelinn, Bella and Paislee will help bus tables at the Pizza Ranch fundraiser.
“Just us sticking together and, you know, talking through it and and just being there to support one another has been our biggest thing,” Dildine said. “Keep our quality of life as a family as high as we can. And then, you know, the girls’ lives as normal as possible.”
Dildine said Olivia is starting to find her personality. He said no one would ever be able to tell anything is wrong with her.
“She’s a normal baby that wants to play and crawl around and roll around and laugh and hang on to her dad,” Dildine said. “Other than her yellowing skin and yellow eyes, you would never know.”
Olivia is a major daddy’s girl. ‘Dad’ was her first word, and Dildine said she always wants to be with him whenever she sees him.
“I have to sneak in and sneak out of rooms sometimes so I can do what I need to do and she doesn’t just cry for me all the time,” Dildine said.
The liver transplant is just the first step of Olivia’s recovery journey. After the transplant, she’ll need to spend a lot of time in the hospital and take over ten medications regularly. With a successful transplant, though, Dildine said Olivia could have a somewhat normal life.
Pizza Ranch
McCloud, the associate general manager for Pizza Ranch, picked up the phone when a family friend called and asked about doing a fundraiser for Olivia. After the call, McCloud got her general manager and told him they had to do it.
“My heart just totally goes out to this family,” McCloud told The Star. “That’s honestly, like, why I was just like, we’ve absolutely, we have to figure out how to do this.”
McCloud said Pizza Ranch hosts a lot of community impact fundraisers, often for sports teams or organizations, where involved individuals volunteer their time to bus tables and get a proceed of the sales. She said giving back to the community is a huge part of what Pizza Ranch is.
“It gives you, like, that accomplishment at the end of the day that, like, you know, we’re doing something good,” McCloud said. “We’re not just pizza and fried chicken. We’re so much more.”
McCloud hopes Pizza Ranch has a big turnout Tuesday night, and she said the restaurant is fully prepared and staffed.
“I’m hoping and praying that we have lines that wrap around my building,” McCloud said. “I really hope people turn out for this.
“My staff are really excited to see, you know, what Kansas City can do for these guys.”
