| LDO Home | General | Kidney | Liver | Marrow | Experiences | Buddies | Hall of Fame | Calendar | Contact Us |

Author Topic: Advice for a 14 year old liver recipient (from his amazing mom)  (Read 5000 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline LeslieG

  • Conversationalist
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Hello to all.  I am hopeful that someone out there can guide me in the right direction.  I was at a local hospital participating in some Organ Donor Awareness month functions. While there I met the family of a 14 year old liver recipient.  He received his donation from his mom approximately  year ago.  Mom is doing well, where as the 14 year old is having a hard time both physically and emotionally. At his age he just wants to blend in and be like everyone other 14 year old and being ill has clearly changed his experience. He has an incredibly loving family, but sometimes a kid just needs another kid to talk to. For me, living donors online was a great source of support and information both pre and post donation. Does anyone know of a similar place for teens or does anyone know a liver recipient who is in the teen years for this amazing young man to email and chat with?  I would be most appreciative if anyone can help me. His parents asked us if we could help to find someone for him, so here I am asking.  Any and all suggestions or advice would be most gratefully appreciated.
Thanks to all,
Leslie -
Donated Kidney to brother January 15, 2002

Offline Fr Pat

  • Top 10 Poster!
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
Re: Advice for a 14 year old liver recipient (from his amazing mom)
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2011, 07:03:29 PM »
     One option that might be helpful for him is the "U.S. Transplant Games" which are held every two years (the next ones in 2012). A couple of thousand transplant recipients (heart, liver, kidney, lung, etc.) of all ages (from toddlers to old folks) gather to compete in all sorts of athletic events (from mild to strenuous), along with living donors and donor families. Athletes form State or regional teams. The National Kidney Foundation runs it (since kidney recipients make up such a large percentage) but liver recipients do take part. if you find out which State or regional team he would be in, some teams are already organizing for next year and he might find other liver recipients to both talk with and train with now. Even if he doesn't find in his local team other liver recipients of his own age he may be encouraged by the example of older recipients.
If you go to www.kidney.org and click "transplant athletics" you should be able to find the info you need. You can also type "U.S. Transplant Games" into the "search" at www.youtube.com and find a number of videos of the games as well as testimonials from transplant recipient athletes.
   Fr. Pat

Offline LeslieG

  • Conversationalist
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Advice for a 14 year old liver recipient (from his amazing mom)
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2011, 07:08:34 PM »
Thank you thank you thank you!  I should have known I'd get a reply from you.  You are truly an inspiration as well as a wealth of fabulous information.  Thanks for taking the time to get back to me.  I am going to pass this along to him right now. 

Best Wishes,
Leslie

Offline Fr Pat

  • Top 10 Poster!
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
Re: Advice for a 14 year old liver recipient (from his amazing mom)
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2011, 01:08:44 AM »
     I forget to mention that the "Transplant Recipients International Organization" ("T.R.I.O.") has local chapters in a number of cities where recipients get together regularly for socializing and for lectures on care of transplanted organs. www.TRIOWEB.org
   Fr. Pat

 

 Subscribe in a reader



Copyright © International Association of Living Organ Donors, Inc. All Rights Reserved