A first-Hand account

In death, life can be given to someone else

Organ recipient recounts how he got a second chance

By Lemuel Bradshaw, Texas Organ Sharing Alliance

April 20, 2006

I am not telling you the following story to scare you; my mission is to educate. I can teach from experience because, you see, I almost died seven years ago. Now I want to tell you how a conversation you have with your family might save someone's life like it saved mine in October of 1999.

Growing up, I was always the big, healthy kid - one who loved playing sports. All that changed in what seemed like an instant. It is something that could happen to any one of us. In April 1998, when I was 28 years old, my girlfriend and I flew to Washington, D.C. She went for a conference, and I tagged along for what I thought would be a relaxing vacation. It was there I began to feel the signs of a cold, and I ended up spending most of my time in the hotel room. When I got home, the doctor said I had bronchitis and prescribed antibiotics. I quickly got over my symptoms, but little did I know how the virus damaged my heart. I would soon find out just how much.

Two months later, I began having headaches and then stomach pains. I saw a doctor and was told it was stress. It wasn't until a trip to the emergency room a few months later that I learned of the real problem. After getting an ultrasound, I was moved to the Intensive Care Unit, and the doctor gave me the news that would change my life forever. My heart was enlarged three times the normal size and was pumping at 10 percent the normal capacity. They said if I didn't get a heart transplant, I would soon die.

For six months, at my insistence, I was given the chance to prove the doctor wrong. I began a medicine regimen that seemed to reverse the effects of my condition. But as quickly as I seemed to progress, my downturn was just as quick. I landed back in the ICU with a fatal diagnosis and was told I had about two days to live unless a donor heart was found. That day came on Oct. 23, 1999.

The time I have now was only made possible because of a selfless man and his family who realized that in death, life could be given to someone else. It is because of this man and his family that I was able to get married and raise three children. I went back to work within three months of my transplant and while I work full-time, I also consider educating people on organ donation to be my true mission in life.

Today in the United States, there are more than 91,000 people on the transplant waiting list; more than 2,400 of them live in Central and South Texas. An average of 17 people die every day because there are not enough organ donors. But you, like the man who saved my life, may have the ability to change that.

April is Donate Life Month. I encourage you to speak with your family today about organ donation. It's one of the most important conversations you may ever have. For more information on organ donation, call the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance at (512) 459-4848, or go to Texas Organ Sharing Alliance

Top 10 Myths about Organ and Tissue Donation

The U.S. has a severe organ shortage in this country. Despite continuing efforts at public education, myths about organ and tissue donation persist. It's a tragedy if even one person decides against donation because of a myth. Here is a list of the more common myths along with the facts:

Myth 1: If I am in an accident and the hospital knows that I want to be a donor, the doctors will not try to save my life.

Fact: Organ recovery takes place only after all efforts to save the patient's life have been exhausted and death has been legally declared. The medical team treating the patient is completely separate from the transplant team. The organ procurement organization is not notified until all lifesaving efforts have failed and death has been determined.

Myth 2: Donation will mutilate my body.

Fact: Donated organs are removed surgically, in a routine operation similar to gallbladder or appendix removal. Donation doesn't disfigure the body or change the way it looks in a casket.

Myth 3: My family will be charged for donating my organs.

Fact: Donation costs nothing to the donor's family or estate.

Myth 4: I've already signed my driver's license. I don't need to do anything else.

Fact: Even if you have a signed donor card, or any other document, you must inform your family of your wishes because they are the ones who will make the final decision. It is easier for them to make that decision if they know you wanted to be a donor.

Myth 5: I am too old (or too young) to donate.

Fact: There are no age restrictions for becoming a donor. The organ bank will evaluate patients on an individual basis. At the time of death, medical professionals will determine if a person's organs can be transplanted.

Myth 6: My religion does not support donation.

Fact: All mainstream organized religions approve of organ and tissue donation and consider it an act of charity.

Myth 7: Wealthy people and celebrities are moved to the top of the list faster than ''regular'' people.

Fact: The organ allocation and distribution system is blind to wealth or social status. The length of time it takes to receive a transplant is governed by many factors, including blood type, severity of illness, length of time on the waiting list, and other medical criteria. Factors such as race, gender, age, income or celebrity status are never considered when determining who receives an organ.

Myth 8: Only heart, liver and kidneys can be transplanted.

Fact: Needed organs include the heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver and intestines. Tissue that can be donated include the eyes, skin, bone, heart valves and tendons.

Myth 9: I have a history of medical illness. You would not want my organs or tissues.

Fact: At the time of death, the appropriate medical professionals will review your medical and social histories to determine whether or not you can be a donor. With recent advances in transplantation, many more people than ever before can be donors. It's best to sign a donor card and tell your family your wishes.

Myth 10: I've heard about a business traveler who is heavily drugged, then awakens to find he has had one kidney (or sometimes both) removed for a black market transplant.

Fact: This tale has been widely circulated over the Internet. There is absolutely no evidence of such activity ever occurring in the United States or any other industrialized country. While the tale may sound credible, it has no basis in the reality of organ transplantation.

Source: Texas Organ Sharing Alliance

Copyright © 2006 - The San Angelo Standard-Times, an E.W. Scripps newspaper.

This article posted May 27, 2006.