Endwell Woman Ready To Get Gift Of Life

Half-Brother To Donate Part Of Liver To Help Her

ENDWELL - A spirit of confidence cloaks Carin McBride's statuesque frame.

As she relaxes in the overstuffed chair in her Endwell living room, McBride's main concern seems to be preventing her 9-year-old Lhasa apso, Kolby, from jumping up beside her. Yet on Feb. 8, McBride's life will be in the hands of surgeons at New England Medical Center, Boston, Mass. "I take everything on a day-to-day basis," McBride said.

At the end of an eight-hour operation, McBride, 48, will have a portion of her half-brother's liver instead of her diseased organ. Randy Swartout, 56, of Washington, agreed to be a living donor for McBride, who has been waiting for a liver transplant since September 1999.

For McBride, the procedure means a cure for her liver disease even though she will be hospitalized for three weeks, disabled for six months and be required to take immunosuppressant medications for the rest of her life.

With her health restored, McBride would again be able to shop with her friends. "We used to shop until we dropped, but Carin hasn't had the stamina for that since she became sick," said Cindy Trimarchi of Johnson City, a longtime friend and a co-worker at Amphenol Interconnect Products, Endwell.

Despite being diagnosed with a liver disease of unknown origin in 1999, McBride didn't put her life on hold. She continues to work at Amphenol, go out to dinner and even dance. "Still, I get very tired," McBride said.

As a temporary measure, doctors placed a shunt in her failing liver. But her only chance for survival is a transplant. "I thank God for everything that's happened and try to remain positive," McBride said.

Up until July 2000, New England Medical Center, where McBride is on a transplant waiting list, didn't do living donor operations. The outlook for McBride brightened when the Medical Center performed nine living donor transplants in the fall of 2000.

Medical Center doctors advised McBride to consent to a living donor transplant while her condition was stable. After tests confirmed that Swartout would be a suitable donor, McBride picked Feb. 8 for the operation.

Throughout McBride's illness, her friends have supplied endless encouragement and support. Besides giving hugs, they've organized fund-raisers, including bake sales, raffles and dinners, to help McBride with expenses not covered by insurance.

Their goal is to raise $10,000 to $15,000 to ease the financial burden. McBride and her husband, David McBride, will have uninsured costs that include travel, medications and caregivers. "We've rallied around her," Trimarchi said.

Unable to resist Kolby's pleading whimpers, McBride let the little dog snuggle down next to her. "He'll be right with me through the long road to recovery," McBride said.

How To Help

A spaghetti dinner to benefit Carin McBride will run from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. March 3 at the American Legion, Route 26, Maine.

Tickets cost $7 for adults and $5 for children younger than 12. They are free for children younger than 5.

The money will help pay expenses not covered by medical insurance for McBride's liver transplant.

A fund in her name has been established by the National Transplant Assistance Fund. Contributions in McBride's name can be mailed to NTAF Liver Transplant Fund, P.O. Box 258, Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010.

For more information about the spaghetti dinner or the NTAF fund for McBride, call Cindy Trimarchi at 797-0784.

Copyright © 2000 The Binghamton Press Co, Binghamton, NY, a Gannett company.

This article posted February 7, 2001.