We officially have the assessment appointment for James to get listed on the transplant list. We need to be in Edmonton for three days of appointments. So much fun... Not. We got a little more information in the packet from the Edmonton clinic, so I figured I would share it with you all. If you can share with anyone who has ever considered donating an organ or would consider it for James!
The living donor donation is usually the larger right lobe for adult to adult transplants. Approximately 4-8 weeks after the surgery the donor's remaining liver regenerates(or regrows) back to its previous size and function. Which is super cool, I did not know this (For your info this is all word for word from the info page they gave us minus a couple comments from me)!
Donor Requirements:
-Unfortunately James got the poor luck of being O blood type so he can only receive O blood type organ donor liver, while any other blood type can also receive O type, all other blood types can also receive O type organs so James' best chance is a living donor.
-Age 18-55 (55-60 on case by case basis)
-Very good general health
-Healthy body weight
Living Donor Process:
-Many tests are completed for the donor to ensure they are in good health.
-Testing includes blood work, x-ray, CT and MRI scan, and appointments with health care provider
-The process can take about 1-3 months
-There is a 25% decline rate for donors
-Due to liver size and liver anatomy
Benefits to live donation:
-The recipient is healthier as there is often less wait time on the transplant list for a deceased donor(James will likely have a longer wait as he is O blood type and "relatively healthy")
-The recipient receives an organ that has not experienced any trauma and there is a shorter time with the organ outside the body before it is transplanted into the recipient.
-There is a 93% recipient success rate at one year and an 83% at five years
Our living donor program:
-Typically our program does 15-20 live liver donation surgeries per year
-There is a reimbursement program for donors(LODERP)
-The program can cover travel costs, lodging, meals, etc. The social worker will assist the donor with this.
We will update you again after the appointments in Edmonton and include a number for James' case that you will be able to call after he has been listed. Thanks for reading and considering! Please share to all your friends and family! The more people who start the process the better chance of finding a match and getting him a liver before he is too ill.
Now for a slightly smaller ask. We are going to be fixing a bunch of fencing and such. We are planning to try to get as much help as we can to get it done in a weekend! So if you can come and join us we will provide beverages, food and snacks! We would request that if you have tools bring them! Be aware we do have two large dogs who do not understand personal space but are very friendly, currently three horses in the field (will be moved to a side we are not working in) and free range chickens that go where ever they feel like. If you have no plans August 19-20th please come by! Contact me on any platform you can and I will send our location as I am not posting that here on the web! Our facebook and instagram are linked to our website. If you know James or me you also likely know how to reach us.
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