This
past weekend quietly marked the third anniversary
of the death of Walter Payton, without any of the
pageantry or attention. On November 1, 1999, Sweetness
succumbed to a rare liver disease called Primary Schlerosing
Cholangitis (PSC), an illness that attacks the bile
ducts of the liver and progressively gets worse. The
disease can be slowed with medications, but the only
“cure” is a liver transplant. Walter was unable to
have a transplant because while he was waiting on
the list he also developed bile duct cancer and was
not a good candidate. Even if he had been a good candidate,
it is questionable if he would have received a liver;
according to the organdonor.gov website, while nearly
23,000 people are helped with an organ transplant;
almost 6,000 people die awaiting transplants that
never come. These are people just like Sweetness;
Moms and Dads, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters.
In the days following his death, reporters, sportscaster
and fans all bemoaned his death and the lack of willing
donors, yet, in the past three years there has not
been a great increase in donors or even donor education.
There are many myths that surround organ donation,
such as- the doctors will not try to save you as hard
if they know you are a donor; that the hospital can
sell your organs; and that only the rich benefit from
organ donation are but a few I encountered while researching
this article. None of these are true. Doctors are
held by a strict oath to render the best and highest
quality of care to every patient, regardless of their
position, character, moral standing or monetary privilege.
Hospitals would have no better luck selling your organs
than you would on ebay; it is illegal. Organ donation
will not cost you any quality of medical care, nor
will it cost you or your family any money, the costs
are borne by the recipient and their insurance company.
Organ donors are selected by the following criteria:
Blood/tissue match
Time on the waiting list
Medical Urgency
Geographical location
While kidney transplants are nearly commonplace now,
and even such radical transplants as hands and legs
have been completed, there are many types of transplants
that are virtually unnoticed. The list of organs that
can be donated are staggering and include: eyes, skin,
tendons, veins, kidneys, liver, pancreas, lungs and
intestines. While a majority of organ donations come
from cadaveric, or deceased donors, portions of the
lungs, liver and entire kidneys can be donated by
living donors. Donating your organs is probably one
of the most charitable things you can do to help another.
Another reason many people don’t donate is lack of
knowledge. Most states now offer the organ donation
option on the back of drivers’ licenses. You can also
communicate your wishes with a wife or husband or
kids, anyone you would be expecting to have to make
the decision if anything bad were to happen to you.
The website www.organdonor.gov
has some great information and a form that you can
download to be an organ donor.
Donating your organs is one of the noblest things
that I can think of doing. Someday it may your loved
ones needing the help of a stranger, or it may even
be yourself.
Or,
it could be me.
You
see, one month ago I was diagnosed with Primary Schlerosing
Cholangitis.
I am 38 years old, serving in the military, not a
drinker or drug abuser. Yet, this disease has struck
me. My only hope is that I will have an organ transplant
before I develop cancer of the bile ducts. My biggest
hope is that this disease becomes a bigger thing,
an opportunity to educate and encourage more organ
donations for the thousands of other people on the
list. If you have any questions, please feel free
to email me at bigwink1@msn.com
. Don’t feel sorry for me, I don’t feel sorry for
myself, I will beat this thing, and I am, as always,
Bearing Down.
BigWink1 aka Lou Winkels
Picture of BigWink1 while he was still in Afghanistan
rooting out the Al Qaeda and Taliban
