dear friends, please consider committing hit-and-run accidents directly in front of the hospital
Publicist Shari Kurzrok needs a liver and she needs it now (it was reported yesterday that she needed it "preferably today"). Since she is a publicist, she sent out a press release. Yes, fine. When you're near death, you pull out all the stops ("there are no atheists in foxholes," etc.)
Shari's fiance put an ad in the Times yesterday, with Shari's picture (she's pretty), and a heartbreaking "We're supposed to get married in October. Please help Shari be there." Gawker is even covering the story in as neutral and non-snarky a way as possible.
The boyfriend's ad and the press release both end with a phone number and email address for "anyone wanting to help Shari with a liver transplant referral."
But ... this isn't a kidney, where you can donate one to your mother and still have one left for yourself. This women needs a complete liver. You only have one, and everybody needs theirs, and my understanding is that the donor organs that are available are already distributed via a sophisticated system that takes into consideration blood type, location, urgency of the need for an organ, seniority on the list, liklihood of success, etc. It's not like this hasn't been thought out.
So what on earth are the public entreaties asking us to do? Buy a liver on the black market and drop it off anonymously? Forge organ donor cards for recently-deceased emergency room patients? Kill someone less worthy (type A or O only!) so she can have their liver?
Update: She's been hanging on for ten days now, and has a website that finally explains what we're supposed to do on Shari's behalf. The site reminds us that Shari cannot accept a partial transplant from a living donor, but that "families who have experienced an immediate tragedy or have a loved one on life support can designate a liver to save Shari's life."
Finally, that makes more sense. And, of course -- if you are in such a situation and are willing to help, please call (877) 223-3386 or email: liverforalife@yahoo.com.
And, dear gosh, if you need an organ transplant, it certainly does help to be both adorable and employed in the public relations industry.
Shari's fiance put an ad in the Times yesterday, with Shari's picture (she's pretty), and a heartbreaking "We're supposed to get married in October. Please help Shari be there." Gawker is even covering the story in as neutral and non-snarky a way as possible.
The boyfriend's ad and the press release both end with a phone number and email address for "anyone wanting to help Shari with a liver transplant referral."
But ... this isn't a kidney, where you can donate one to your mother and still have one left for yourself. This women needs a complete liver. You only have one, and everybody needs theirs, and my understanding is that the donor organs that are available are already distributed via a sophisticated system that takes into consideration blood type, location, urgency of the need for an organ, seniority on the list, liklihood of success, etc. It's not like this hasn't been thought out. So what on earth are the public entreaties asking us to do? Buy a liver on the black market and drop it off anonymously? Forge organ donor cards for recently-deceased emergency room patients? Kill someone less worthy (type A or O only!) so she can have their liver?
Update: She's been hanging on for ten days now, and has a website that finally explains what we're supposed to do on Shari's behalf. The site reminds us that Shari cannot accept a partial transplant from a living donor, but that "families who have experienced an immediate tragedy or have a loved one on life support can designate a liver to save Shari's life."
Finally, that makes more sense. And, of course -- if you are in such a situation and are willing to help, please call (877) 223-3386 or email: liverforalife@yahoo.com.
And, dear gosh, if you need an organ transplant, it certainly does help to be both adorable and employed in the public relations industry.
posted by JenIsFamous at 7/23/2005 01:57:00 PM
1 Comments:
There is such a thing as a live liver donor - I cut a show about a young woman donating part of her liver to her dying Dad. Her liver regenerated to nearly it's original size and the Dad's did as well.
This may not apply in this case.
What I learned apart from this is how remarkably blood-free the abdominal cavity is when properly opened to remove a vital organ. It's economically packed and quite tidy.
Gary
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