Organ donation became a very important part of my life when my father was diagnosed with end stage liver disease (ESLD) in August, 2007, only two months after he retired. ESLD is an irreversible condition that leads to complete failure of the liver.
Once diagnosed with ESLD, my dad’s quality of life decreased and his MELD score, a numerical scale used for liver allocation, rapidly increased. Fortunately, my dad was a candidate for liver transplantation, and was accepted onto the Colorado transplant list in early 2008. However, my dad did not get his transplant in Colorado where he had received his routine care for over two years. It was Cleveland Clinic and an unknown donor that saved his life.
But why did my dad have to “shop” (multi-list) for a new liver? There are three main reasons:
- The processes of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) are flawed
- We do not have enough registered organ donors in the United States, and for my dad, within the CO region
- There are different decision methods used for what organs are “viable” for transplant. These decision methods vary from hospital to hospital.
UNOS encourages transplants centers to advocate multi-listing, however, very few transplant candidates do it. The topic of multi-listing became hot when Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, received his liver transplant in Tennessee, even though he lived in California. The fact is organ transplantation is not a fair and equal process, and as a result, multi-listing is necessary to save lives.
My parents do not have wealth and fortune like Steve Jobs, but they still multi-listed. How did they do it? They made a commitment that they would do whatever it takes to save my dad’s life. That included doing lots of research, pushing on their insurance company, and taking a BIG risk both financially and with his life. Overall, the multi-listing process was much easier than they ever thought it would be. Within 30 days of joining the Ohio transplant list, my dad got his liver. If he had not multi-listed, he would either still be waiting or have died waiting here in Colorado. My dad is 3 months post transplant and doing great. It’s a tough recovery road, but a road that leads to jam sessions on the drums with his granddaughter, hunting with his brothers, and Harley riding across our country with my mom.
Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race, or medical history!
Learn more & sign up @ www.donatelife.net
