Gabriel Harrison's wife passes away after battle with acute liver failure

The wife of 1994 New Talent Singing Awards champion Gabriel Harrison, makeup artist Effie Mok, who was previously diagnosed with acute liver failure and urgently needed a liver transplant, has sadly lost her battle with the illness, as exclusively reported by Sing Tao Headline yesterday. In fact, acute liver failure progresses rapidly, capable of causing severe liver damage within 4 weeks. The onset of 2 major complications can be directly life-threatening.

Gabriel Harrison recently revealed via Instagram that his wife, makeup artist Effie Mok, was diagnosed with acute liver failure. After consulting with doctors and finding her condition unpromising, they decided to transfer her to the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou for treatment. Following professional handling and comprehensive checks at the hospital, and due to the severity of her condition, her health presented many unexpected changes after about five days of hospitalization, requiring transfer to the ICU for emergency treatment.

As organ matching and transplantation were potential steps, he stated the hospital initially estimated the surgery cost at HK$500,000. However, beyond the surgery, continuous medical expenses arose, and the calculated total potentially exceeded HK$1 million. Struggling to bear the escalating medical costs, a distraught Gabriel Harrison made a video appeal for help. After he posted the video on Instagram, several friends from the entertainment industry assisted in raising funds for the medical expenses.

He wrote in his post: "My wife's condition requires close coordination and planning with the medical team every day, so during this time, I truly need to stay by my wife's side with our family, guarding and accompanying her." "I thank everyone again for your concern regarding this matter, and thank those who have helped us. I hope everyone can continue to pray for my wife, and may everyone stay healthy." Unfortunately, Sing Tao Headline recently received exclusive news that Effie Mok has succumbed to her illness and passed away.

Understanding the 6 Major Causes of Acute Liver Failure: Severe Damage Within 4 Weeks

According to information from The Chinese University of Hong Kong Liver Care Centre, acute liver failure, commonly known as "fulminant hepatitis," emphasizes its rapid and violent progression. As defined by the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver, acute liver failure refers to severe liver injury occurring within 4 weeks in individuals without pre-existing liver disease. Due to the short onset period and the fact that early-stage liver disease often lacks obvious symptoms like pain (at most showing loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea), it often catches people off guard. Common causes of acute liver failure include the following 6 major factors:

1. Acute Viral Hepatitis: Infection by any of the five hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D, E) can potentially trigger an acute attack.
2. Drug-Induced Hepatitis: Some Chinese or Western medicines can harm the liver if taken excessively. However, there are also cases of random, sudden liver damage or even failure triggered by medication, even when taken at prescribed doses.
3. Heavy Alcohol Consumption in a Short Time: Binge drinking.
4. Ingesting Moldy or Toxic Food: Molds, substances particularly damaging to the liver like aflatoxins, or foraging and consuming wild mushrooms, potentially leading to poisoning and liver failure.
5. Autoimmune Hepatitis.
6. Non-Liver Infections: Infections not targeting the liver initially can "harm the innocent bystander" (the liver) due to the body's overall inflammatory response.

Although there are many causes, cases of acute liver failure are quite rare. By preventing hepatitis properly, not taking medicines indiscriminately, avoiding alcohol abuse, and being cautious about food intake, one need not excessively worry about the liver suddenly failing.

According to Hong Kong's Department of Health data, a small proportion of patients with severe acute hepatitis may develop liver failure, leading to impaired brain function or even death. Approximately one percent of patients with acute Hepatitis A or B may experience severe liver inflammation and liver failure.

2 Most Critical Complications of Acute Liver Failure - Is a Transplant the Only Lifesaver?

The Centre's information indicates that acute liver failure has rapid onset, is difficult to treat, and easily triggers fatal complications. The liver is the body's "chemical plant"; once it fails, it can complicate numerous issues such as jaundice, bleeding, sepsis, blood sugar abnormalities, kidney failure, and other pathologies. Among these, hepatic encephalopathy and bacterial/viral infectionsare the most dangerous.

• Hepatic Encephalopathy: The liver breaks down many toxins produced by the body's metabolism. When the liver fails, toxins travel through the bloodstream to various parts of the body. Accumulation in the brain can cause confusion, disordered thinking, cerebral edema, coma, and endanger life.
• Bacterial/Viral Infections: The immunity of patients with liver failure becomes very poor. If foreign bacteria or viruses infect them, or if pre-existing chronic conditions flare up, their bodies struggle to defend, leading to rapid deterioration or more complications.

Currently, there are no specific medications to treat liver failure itself. Therefore, if acute liver failure occurs, the only options are to sustain the patient's life, manage complications, or, depending on the situation, treat the underlying cause of the liver disease (e.g., administering medication to suppress the hepatitis virus) while monitoring whether the liver can repair itself. However, most patients with liver failure require a liver transplant, seeking a short-term solution through transplantation to resolve the critical situation.