I just came across this article online and had to share it with all of you. It's from December 2007 but such a wonderful story that it's good to hear anytime. This is one GREAT banquet manager that we all can be proud of!The sales manager at a Long Island reception hall donated one his kidneys to a rather new friend: A client whose wedding he booked in 2003. Rick Bellando works at Oheka Castle in Huntington, Long Island and rented the historic mansion to Matthew Fulgieri and his bride and became friends with the pair while helping them plan their wedding.
Fulgieri, a 42-year-old father of two in Queens, was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease--a fatal condition and the one that killed his mother. His doctors informed him that both of his kidneys would fail within a year. That is when Bellando offered his customer one of his own. The Daily News describes how the offer came to pass.
Bellando said he never "in a million years" thought he would donate a kidney to his newfound friend, particularly since one of Fulgieri's brothers was prepared to make the sacrifice.
But when tests showed Fulgieri's brother was not a suitable match, Bellando, who has three young girls, said he couldn't bear to watch the disease take the family man away from his wife, Mamie, and young boys.
After 60 hours of tests, Bellando turned out to be a perfect donor match for Fulgieri and he offered to save his life. The two underwent a transplant operation last month and at this time, Fulgieri has been recovering and returned to work Doctors expect him to survive his disease.
About 6,000 die annually waiting for an organ transplant. Medline has dozens of links on the practice of organ donation and transplants. As of this afternoon, 98,158 people are on the waiting list to receive needed organs in the United States.
From: Gothamist.com
December 26, 2007
Read original article: Banquet Manager Saves Groom's Life
3 comments:
The generosity of live organ donors like Rick Bellando is wonderful. It's a shame we need so many live organ donors. Americans bury or cremate 20,000 transplantable organs every year.
There is another good way to put a big dent in the organ shortage -- if you don't agree to donate your organs when you die, then you go to the back of the waiting list if you ever need an organ to live.
Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. About 50% of the organs transplanted in the United States go to people who haven't agreed to donate their own organs when they die.
Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition.
Great comment and thank you for your support to not only this site but to the organ transplant programs everywhere.
How is MAtt doing today with the new transplant, he is the friend of a friend and he has not had news from him in a while.
Thank you in advance
Olivier
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