amazing story about purifoy's mother

[CR91]

http://www.colts.com/videos/videos/Colts-Rookie-Purifoys-Dream-NFL--Healthy-Mother/c297f6ef-2762-4cd2-8ae4-ecda46083ee6

[TKnight24]

Must be about to breakout after the bye week.

Everytime a player gets a story posted here on the forum, they make an impact.

Hughes, Allen, Moncrief....... Even the Great Kerr

[BrentMc11]

Good story.  Behave during the Bye week son.  Remember, you were hangin' with Da'Rick his final night as a Colt.

[Bravo]

Good story! Hope the best for all of them!

[21isSuperman]

That's an awesome story!  I've never heard of a transplant chain, but it's an awesome idea!  There is a huge shortage of organs and tissues for donation in North America because of our informed consent systems (I think Europe has presumed consent), so I strongly encourage everyone to get information on it and make an educated decision on whether or not you want to be a donor. 

[T Y Goodbye]

That's an awesome story!  I've never heard of a transplant chain, but it's an awesome idea!  There is a huge shortage of organs and tissues for donation in North America because of our informed consent systems (I think Europe has presumed consent), so I strongly encourage everyone to get information on it and make an educated decision on whether or not you want to be a donor. 

 

Thank you for posting this. This is a highly sensitive issue for me, because I am a donor recipient of a liver.

 

I encourage everyone to become an organ donor. I received my donor liver on May 1st 2009..Its doing great, and with further treatment, I beat the disease that cause my liver to go bad (Hepatitis C). I have been virus free for over 3 years. I would have died 5 years ago, if someone or their family gave me and others the precious gift of life. All donations and donor recipients are totally anonymous, but you can send a letter of thanks, with certain exceptions like, you cannot name yourself...where you live..etc.

 

The hardest thing for a donor recipient candidate, is that you are essentially waiting for someone else to die, so that you can live. Every time the phone would ring, my heart would race..Even if you get the call, you still might not get the liver that's available...For example, I was called 2 days after being put on the list, but I was in the hospital already fighting off  condition caused by my failing liver. The next month I was called, went down, did all of the pre-op antibiotics and stuff, only to find out that the liver was no good for transplantation.(too fatty).  2 months later I was called down to be a back-up recipient. What that means is that someone ahead of me would get the liver, but since I am a large person, if the liver was too big for the recipient die to get it, that it might fit me, and they try so hard not to let any organ donated go to waste.

 

On May 1st 2009, at 12:30 AM, I got the call to come down as a back-up. My wife was working night shift at her hospital, I called, and told her to wait to see, that it wasn't urgent she be there until we knew for sure..I got to the hospital about 3 AM, and an hour later, I was told that this liver was mine...I was in disbelief, but they said to get ready..I called the wife, and she came down. We were both crying from happiness as well as fear, its a major surgery that lasts anywhere from 6-18 hours, depending on the situation. At 4:30 I started panicking, as my cell phone couldn't work in that room, and I had to talk to my family..The resident Dr that was assisting, I had gotten to know very well from my many visits to the liver clinic came in to talk to us, saw me crying, and as I told him what was happening...he said..let me take care of this..he called the operator, and said..For the next 2 hours, my patient needs to talk to his family..You will allow access on this line to anywhere he calls...So, I got to call my sisters in PA, and told them I would be fine, and that I love them...To this day, that Dr and I correspond, and if I have any issues, he's got my back. Afterwards, he said my liver was very bad, and that had I not received the gift, that I would have only lived for possibly 2 months. At 7 AM, I was wheeled into surgery, and received my liver from the #1 liver transplant Dr in the world, the founder and developer of UCLA's liver transplant program himself, Dr. Busatil. The surgery was textbook, lasted about 7 hours, (they also automatically remove the gall bladder, in case of complications that could put bile in my system, and a few hours after that, I woke up to my loving wife, and a beautiful nurse. I couldn't speak because I was intubated (breathing tube), but i traced I love you on my wife's hand..and smiled. I was walking within 2 days, with 63 staples in my belly, and all the yellow of jaundice was gone in that short period. Has I not had minor rejection issues, I would have been home in 9 days..They finally weaned my off the steroids, and I went home on the 17th. in the next 3 weeks, I lost 75 lbs of fluid that my old liver couldn't filter, and was back to my normal weight of 225 in 3 months. (Because of the disease, I had gained about 170 lbs to around 400). It took me a few weeks to get my strength back, as the poisons in my body ate away at my body muscle. Its was about a month until I had the strength to do steps so I could get upstairs to bed without major assistance.

 

I made a vow, and a promise to myself, and the donor's family (in prayer), that he/she would never truly die, that his spirit, his life, was still going on, but through me. Every morning I give thanks to God and to the family, for the precious gift they gave me...another chance to live. I tell my story often, only because if it helps to get another donor, or helps someone that is a candidate or recipient get through their ordeal, it is well worth it. When I got back to work, with my employers permission, I got up in front of the whole building and told my story, and helped get the bloodmobile to come one time a month to donate blood, and also, was allowed to pass out information pamphlets on organ donation. Through my little effort, we got close to 80 new organ donors. A few came to me personally, to thank me for showing them, as you never know when the situation may hit you, or a loved one. And, without organs, many people would have died, that could have been saved. I personally nearly lost a good friend, who had days to live, was so poisoned that he was delirious, and incoherent. He finally got his liver days before he would have died. But in all that time, he said to me, I know I'm going to make it, because of me, he said your attitude, confidence, and how fast I got better, helped him to have the strength to believe that he would make it...He just got his 5 years in in July. One lady wasn't so lucky..she died in 2010, waiting for a liver that never came. The late, great Walter Payton died, waiting for a donor liver. And it is a slow, and painful death.

 

So please, become a donor, and give blood if you can. You can't imagine how important that this is, and its so simple. Think of it this way..you are not only saving lives, but you are also assuring yourself to live on...Part of you is helping someone else live, so you truly would not have died...a part of you continues to live on..

 

Here is a website, where you learn more about organ donation, and sign up, if you already aren't. 

 

http://organdonor.gov/becomingdonor/index.html

 

I apologize for the long post, but I felt it necessary to share my story, in hopes that if even one person signs up, and it ends up saving lives, its well worth it. Please consider this for you and your families. Even your children..many children are awaiting life saving transplants. God forbid that something might happen, but it does happen, and there are other beautiful little ones needing our help...

 

Thank you so much in advance..You all are truly my extended family..I keep you all in my thoughts and prayers..

[Dr. Guildo]

One thing that I have always taken great pride in is that ever since I got my ID I have always opted to have that little heart on there to show that I am a proud donor. 

[21isSuperman]

Thank you so much in advance..You all are truly my extended family..I keep you all in my thoughts and prayers..

Great story, I'm glad to hear things are going well now!!