Allendale County man shares liver disease journey, awaits transplant

Zavion Flowers, a 28-year-old Allendale County resident, is facing a rare liver disease that has turned ordinary days into a schedule of appointments, testing and waiting. After months of evaluations, doctors placed Flowers on the official liver transplant list in May 2026.

PSC, or primary sclerosing cholangitis, is a rare, long-term disease that causes inflammation and scarring in the bile ducts. It can narrow those ducts, damage the liver and, in some cases, lead to transplant. It is often linked with inflammatory bowel disease, especially ulcerative colitis.

Flowers said he did not fully understand at first how serious the diagnosis would become. As the disease advanced, the transplant became less of a distant possibility and more of a next step in a long medical process that includes evaluation, listing, surgery, recovery, medications and years of follow-up care.

Allendale County had 8,039 residents in the 2020 census, and local access to advanced specialty care is limited. Allendale County Hospital operates as a critical access hospital with a 24/7 emergency department, two rural health clinics, imaging, lab services and rehabilitation.

MUSC Health's program is the only liver transplant program in the state and has helped more than 1,500 patients. Prisma Health's transplant center is one of only two transplant centers in South Carolina.

His mother, Debbie Flowers, and other family members and supporters have helped with transportation, check-ins, prayers, emotional support and fundraising. He is also using a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs that come with transplant care, including travel, medications, follow-up visits, recovery time and missed work. The GoFundMe campaign estimates recovery after surgery could take three to six months if there are no complications.

Flowers said the experience has changed how he sees life, making him more aware of each day and less willing to take his health for granted. He also thanked the people who have stood beside him, saying their kindness, encouragement, prayers and generosity have meant a great deal to him and his family.