Sharing Our Story with the World
We recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by Sharing Mayo Clinic. Sharing Mayo Clinic is a unique blog that provides a virtual place for the Mayo Clinic community to connect and share their experiences. Each year over 500,000 unique patients from every U.S. state and nearly 150 countries go to Mayo Clinic for diagnosis and treatment. These patients and their families and friends, and 50,000 employees and students are part of a global Mayo Clinic community.
Read MoreSomething to Consider
Following my transplant my wife, Julie wrote a beautiful essay that she posted to her blog. In her elegant prose she clearly illustrates the need for more organ donors and the impact that organ donation can have on the recipient' and there family. Organ donation is a sensitive subject but needs to be discussed by families now, before a tragedy strikes. When you are in the midst of dealing and coping with a tragedy these are very difficult decisions to make.
Read MoreA Mother’s Decision to Give Life
In December 2009 Chris Henry died in a traffic accident. This tragedy came just as Chris was working to put his past issues behind him and rescue his NFL career. Following Chris’ death his mother made the decision to donate his organs for transplant. Henry’s corneas, lungs, kidneys, heart, liver, and pancreas were transplanted, saving the lives of four people. The following was aired by CBS Sport 11 months after Chris’ death. His mother tells the story of the lives impacted by the donation of Chris’ organs and how that helped her with her through her grief. The power of organ donation is apparent in the way this story affect the CBS Sports broadcasters. James Brown was so touched he was unable to continue the broadcast. At this season...
Read MoreLiving Donors
Living organ donation dates back to 1954, when a kidney from one twin was successfully transplanted into his identical brother. Today, the number of living organ donors is more than 6,000 per year. And one in four of these donors are not biologically related to the recipient. By offering a kidney, lobe of a lung, portion of the liver, pancreas, or intestine, living donors offer their loved one or friend or stranger an alternative to waiting on the national transplant list for an organ from a deceased donor.
Read MoreAn Organ Recipients Perspective
When talking about Organ Donation much of the discussion in about the donor and their family. The closure, comfort and purpose that can come and help make sense of a tragedy for the family. This is an important perspective in this discussion but there is another side to organ donation, the perspective of the recipient. For most organ recipients they do not know their donor’s family. This information may in time be released to the recipient with the permission of the donor’s family. I learned early on in this process when you are told you need a transplant there is a flood of emotions, a fear of dying and a fear of the unknown just to name a couple. In a relative short time you come to terms with these emotions but the emotion that weighs most...
Read MoreBaraboo Family’s Wait for Organ Donor a Struggle
As part of National Donate Life Month we were featured on the front page of the local newspaper. It was a nice story that highlighted the need for organ donors with my story as a back-drop. Marshall Curtis, right, and wife Julie are hoping to raise awareness of the need for organ donations this April, which is National Donate Life Month. Marshall, diagnosed with a genetic condition that is slowly killing his liver, has been waiting since August for the transplant he needs to stay alive, and says the uncertainty has been an enormous burden for the couple. Read the complete article at the Baraboo News Republic...
Read MoreYou Can Give Life
One Man’s Story Trailer
The last 6 months of a two year journey to receive a liver transplant. Told in one minute of pictures and music.
Recent Comments