Locations of Donors

[Pam]

 I am wondering if there are any Living Donors that possibly live in my area. I live in Maryland and donated in New York. So my support group requires a planned trip to NY from here. I am in Harford Co. Maryland. I donated my liver to my brother on Sept. 4, 2012.

Thanks in advance.

Pam

[sherri]

Pam,

I live in Baltimore and donated a kidney to my brother in 2007 at JHH. He actually lives in NY but chose to come to Hopkins for his surgery. I do know quite a few living kidney donors and recipients but no living liver donors. You can contact University of Maryland Transplant Center and Johns Hopkins Transplant Center to see if they have support groups for liver donors and try and join one here. The National Kidney Foundation is an organization that helps patients in renal failure. They are a pretty strong group for recipients with some information for donors as well. I don't think liver disease has as strong of an advocacy group but you can try http://www.liverfoundation.org/ and see if they have any support groups for donors. I would be happy to talk to you about living donation in general, family donation, etc. Feel free to email me. hope you are feeling well and recuperating on schedule. Liver donation is certainly a lot more extensive than kidney donation. Hope your brother is doing well also.

Sherri

[Pam]

I so appreciate your response. I will check on the Maryland sites for other odors and such.
I would love to volunteer for the Organ Donation nearest me. I would love to sign up for a 5k fundraising walk/run.
Unfortunately  my brother passed away a month after our surgeries.  I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Pam

[Fr Pat]

Dear Pam,
     The Natinal Kidney Foundation sponsors a lot of "Kidney Walks" to raise funds and to raise awareness about kidney disease, prevention, treatment, transplantation, etc.  If you go to www.kidney.org and type "Kidney Walk" in the search box they usually offer a complete list by State of their "Walks". I don't know if they sponsor runs as well.
   best wishes,
       Fr. Pat

[sherri]

Pam,

I am so sorry for the loss of your brother. How very sad it must have been to try and save his life and have him pass after the surgery. Sadly so many recipients, especially those with severe liver disease, are so sick by the time they receive their transplant, they are not able to recuperate. I would think both Maryland and Hopkins would have support groups for donors who lost their recipients.

Hope you are recuperating well.

All the best to you and your family. May your brother's memory always bring you comfort.

Sherri

[Pam]

Thank you for responding to my questions. I have figured out that Liver Donation population is small compared to Kidney.
I am hopeful to find a Liver run somewhere. Also still hold out hope to find a Liver Donor advocate in my area. My team in NY is most excellent I would not know what to do without them.
Sherri, you were blessed your brother wanted to come to Maryland for his treatment/surgery. My brother was living in Manhattan so it made sense to stay there for him.
Follow ups require a trip up for me and usually a night in a hotel as well due to the long day of appointments. I do love seeing my team though.

Again, thank you I will check into those recommendations of sites.

Pam