Hi Friends,
My name is Terry Kessel, but many of you probably know me as Teacher Terry. I've been fortunate to teach for almost 30 years, and in that time have lived my dream of helping prepare students for the real world. But as I taught my students, the real world isn't always easy. It can seem downright unfair...something I relearned recently when I was told I would need an organ transplant.
Approximately 13,000-15,000 candidates are wait-listed at any given time, and approximately 6,000 patients receive a liver transplant and 2,000 patients die waiting (National Institute of Health). Many patients are never wait-listed. But luckily I was this past month. Unfortunately, we can't 3D print livers quite yet, and due to the scarcity of organ donors, the waiting lists for liver transplants can be agonizingly long.
But it's not all doom and gloom. Healthy livers actually have the remarkable ability to regenerate and regrow! The brave people who donate parts of their healthy livers are called "living donors." Asking someone to donate half of their liver is a deeply personal and complex request. One that, honestly, I don't really feel comfortable making. Organ donation is an incredible act of selflessness and compassion. Especially considering the potential for medical complications. It involves an unbelievable amount of bravery by both of us. I am reach out to someone and requesting an extraordinary level of commitment, potentially altering their life forever. I am very aware that what I am asking for is an act of love, perhaps from someone I don’t yet know. If asked, your “no” is a fully valid response without explanation. That you considered it for a moment is a brave and generous act in itself. Please consider sharing this widely, as I'm looking for any living donor out there.
Thank you for joining me on this journey,
Teacher Terry
(This photo was taken in 2015 on a rest from exploring southern Colorado.)
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