A 12-year-old boy was left in a coma after ‘throwing up two litres of blood’ as routine tonsil surgery went wrong.
Ashleigh and Dan Klaver were left in pieces as they tried to deal with a parent’s worst nightmare.
It was found, following the procedure, that Liam’s main artery to his brain was leaking; causing him to slowly bleed to death.
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Despite him being back home, his battle is still far from over, with him and the pair, aged 35 and 37, living out of their car due to the amount of weekly appointments.
“I thought it was going to be a simple surgery and we’d go get ice cream afterwards to soothe his throat,” the full-time carer told Need To Know.
“But that wasn’t the case at all.
“When he came home that night, he didn’t seem to be healing.
“After my husband and I saw how much blood there was, we became very concerned.
“Suddenly, a clot the size of my palm came out.
“I rushed him back to the hospital where doctors discovered the source of the bleed.
“He went into surgery and six hours later, we were told he was in a coma.
“Both of us were so overwhelmed with emotion that we couldn’t think about him not waking up.”
On 17 March 2025, he went in for what was meant to be a standard removal procedure.
It was hoped this would help his mild case of obstructive sleep apnea.
After being rushed back to hospital, Liam had to undergo a transplant including nine units of blood plus additives, along with a coil to stop any further bleeding.
Sadly, during this, he went into cardiac arrest; and passed for 10 minutes on the operating table.
Doctors were able to revive him, but he was intubated for ‘his safety’.
After spending 10 days in a coma, he started to show signs of being alert and soon enough began walking and talking again.
On 21 April, he had the aforementioned coil removed; though this only brought him back to square one.
Dan said: “He began haemorrhaging blood from his nose and mouth.
“Liam then told us ‘good night’ as he was placed into a coma again.
“When he woke up, he was so scared.
“Each surgery following left us on pins and needles.”
After 76 days in hospital, he returned home on 5 June 2025.
While Liam, from New Berlin, Wisconsin, US, struggled emotionally with his new normal, he fought to stay active and return to his old hobbies, including lacrosse.
Sadly, he’s been unable to participate due to his condition and medics say it’s unlikely he will ever be able to again.
Currently, he’s having up to four appointments per week for follow-ups and therapy.
And it’s been found that his right leg now has an artery clot, which is causing numbness and weakness.
For now, the family are hoping to share Liam’s story in a bid to raise awareness and to recoup the money they’ve had to shell out for medical bills.
As of today, they’ve raised $38,996 (USD) out of $50,000.
Ashleigh added: “Liam has good days and bad days; emotionally and physically.
“It’s a constant trauma of not being able to do all the same things as his peers anymore.
“We wouldn’t wish our worst horrors that came true on anyone.
“As a family, we try to stay positive as much as we can, even when we’re dealing with unknown outcomes.
“Our lives look completely different now than they did a year ago.
“We’d love to make his wish of seeing the Wonders of the World come true in the future.
“If something seems scary, don’t feel bad about reaching out to a doctor or going to the hospital.
“Some bleeding is normal – but if it’s a lot, seek attention immediately before it’s too late.”
