30/04/2023
Hello all and welcome to our page. Our dad Robert "Duke" Duquin is in need of a live liver transplant and we are desperately seeking a donor. After years of being treated, via infusion, for Rheumatoid Arthritis, the medicine that was supposed to help improve his health and well being ended up negatively effecting him.
The last four years have been a rollercoaster and after countless hospital admissions and doctor's appointments we finally have a plan, but we NEED your help. Duke has been approved to receive a live liver donation.
What is Live Liver Donation?
You may be asking what a live liver donation is. A live liver donation is a life saving gift. Patients who receive a living donor organ transplant have as good or better outcomes than those patients who receive a deceased donor organ. A donor (if eligible) will give a portion of their liver to the recipient. Within 6 to 8 weeks both the donor and the recipients livers will grow to full size post operation. A healthy liver can regenerate, where as a sick and scarred liver cannot. So if you take one liver and divide it into two smaller livers they will both regenerate and grow to two healthy full sized livers within two months time.
Advantages of Living Donation:
1) Reduce or eliminate time spent on the wait list, which often times is months or years
2) Eliminate the chance of the recipient getting too sick or dying while waiting for an organ from a deceased donor
3) Convenient scheduling for the donor and the recipient
4) Knowing that you have done a truly altruistic act
5) Knowing you have dramatically changed the recipients life
Who Can Donate?
The following are needed in order to be considered a possible donor match:
1) Blood Types A(positive or negative) or O(positive or negative)
2) Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or under
3) Be between the ages of 18-60
4) Male or female
5) Cannot have any serious medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease
What are the Medical Costs Involved?
There are no medical costs involved for the donor. The recipients medical insurance will fully cover the in office screening, testing, surgery and hospital stay.
What to Do If You Would Like to Help?
1) Spread the word as much as possible and please share this page. You never know who is out there that is willing to give the gift of life.
2) If you yourself are interested in learning more about being a possible live donor match you can call Strong Memorial Hospital's Liver Transplant Team at (585) 275-5875. You will either speak with Danielle or Jennie who will perform a pre-screening call and answer any questions you may have. Please let them know you are calling to possibly donate to Robert Duquin.
3) You can also reach out to Christina Duquin-Lacagnina at (716)998-4792 for any further information.
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/transplant/liver.aspx
