Traveling abroad for organ transplants increases health risks.
More than 3,000 people a day are added to the waiting list for kidney transplants, leading some to travel abroad in order to buy one.
Travelling to another country for a kidney transplant from a living donor carries significant risks, according to a study of patient travel for the procedure.
The study, presented at Kidney Week 2015, the annual conference of the American Society of Nephrologists, found patients who purchased kidneys from living donors abroad faced higher risk of rejection of organs and of not surviving the procedure, according to press release.
Because maybe when someone sees a picture of them together on social media and realizes her father, Harold Strope, is pedaling up the Berkshires with a heart he wasn’t born with, they’ll sign up to be an organ donor.
Their four-day ride will start in Delmar, the place Harold and Miriam Strope call home, and end at Massachusetts General Hospital, where Harold received a heart transplant 20 years ago, when he was in his late 40s and Sara was a senior at Albany Academy for Girls. They hope to raise a bit of money for the hospital, but the primary purpose of the ride is to raise awareness about the importance of signing up to be an organ donor. It’s as easy as checking a box when you get your driver’s license or signing up online. Read more here.
A couple whose son became the youngest ever organ donor have been given a Special Recognition Pride of Britain award.
Jess Evans and Mike Houlston found out when she was 12 weeks pregnant that one of their twin boys was fatally ill with a rare birth defect that prevents the brain and skull developing. Read more here.
Pope Francis is a supporter of organ donation, describing the act as “a testimony of love for our neighbor.” Not only does the Catholic Church support organ transplantation, it also recognizes donation as a great act of charity and love. Pope John Paul II stated, “The Catholic Church promotes the fact that there is a need for organ donors and that Christians should accept this as a challenge to their generosity and fraternal love. One of the most powerful ways for individuals to demonstrate love for their neighbor is by making the informed decision to be an organ donor.”
In honor of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, TRIO Maryland encourages your family and friends to register as a donor.
Wagner Twins Who Had Liver Transplant Starting School, Thriving After Surgery.
Little Binh and Phuoc Wagner hopped onto a school van recently on their way to kindergarten class for the first time. Their parents, Johanne and Michael, couldn’t get over the normalcy of the situation.
Read full story here : http://huff.to/1UzY14l
#TransplantTuesday
Be sure to check out the TRIO Maryland Transplant Conference Article on Page 6.
Keep an eye on your mailbox — the Summer 2015 issue of Connections is hitting mailboxes!
Didn’t receive one or can’t wait to dig in? Check out the digital version on Issuu here: http://issuu.com/thellf/docs/connections_final_