I lost a brother to kidney disease in 2004. He succumbed to the disease that burdened him since he was a toddler and died at the tender age of 16. I was prepared to give one of my kidneys but time went against us, harshly and hastily. He was a dreamer, an avid basketball and Lebron James fan, and a sweet and compassionate teenager who wished to go to a pilgrimage to Disneyland. During his last days, I constantly motivated, encouraged, and even egged on and bribed him with a trip to the Magic Kingdom but he was already too weak--"an angel flying low on earth" as aptly put by one of my friends.
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| Be an organ donor. Save a life. |
My mother, to this day, could not muster the courage to go to the same hospital where my brother died. And every time the subject of kidney disease especially among children is brought up or discussed on TV, she shies away from the topic as if she has severe allergic reactions to the discussion of it.
When I read the story of the 17-year old Chinese student named "Zheng" who sold one of his kidneys for an iPad 2 just to heavily regret it afterwards, I could not help myself but to come up with a fireworks of expletives. My first thought was, "Stupid. Why do it for an iPad?" He should have known that the products from Steve Job's Apple Company (iPhone, iPad, iMac, etc.) are known for its extremely short shelf life. Another kidney for iPad3? Poor him. I wish him well and may he live longer than his iPad2.
Since my brother's death, I've signed up to be an organ donor in case I get called early for my next duty in another world, perhaps. I have an organ donor card in my wallet and I have it with me every time I step out of the house. If you haven't signed up for one, please do so because you might ultimately give the gift of life someday. If you're not prepared, study it well and then discuss it with your family.
"Don't think of organ donations as giving up part of yourself to keep a total stranger alive. It's really a total stranger giving up almost all of themselves to keep part of you alive." ~Author Unknown
Now, to give you an inspiring and insightful example of one person's selflessness and heroic act of adding more years to a friend's life, watch this short film about kidney organ donation and transplantation.
WARNING: Included in the film are snippets of the actual kidney transplantation surgery, please watch it to your own discretion.
“The Perfect Match”
A childhood friendship…and Facebook could save John Brannon’s life. While on the brink of kidney failure, John reunites with an old friend who suddenly realizes that she has the ability to save John’s life. Watch as their friendship and lives are put to the ultimate test.
