10/05/2022
Bob is one of the best people I have ever been blessed to know. Please share this post in hopes of finding him a living donor for his liver. Thanks
04 Oct 2022
Dear Friends and Family,
I was diagnosed in December 2020 with cholangiocarcinoma which is a liver bile duct cancer. Through your prayers and intercessions an entire team of medical professionals successfully removed the cancer. Unfortunately, the cure has placed me in a precarious situation. My bile duct system has not been able to clear the bile from my liver. This is causing my liver to fail. For almost two years, I've been in a constant struggle to keep bile flowing properly. We have come to the point where the toxicity of my blood is starting to harm my liver and other organs.
My doctors have told me that I need a liver transplant. The liver transplant will provide me with a healthy bile duct system as well as a liver. It is impossible to only transplant or repair a bile duct system. Unfortunately, due to the poor survival rates of cholangiocarcinoma patients, transplant centers worldwide will not authorize me to receive a deceased donor liver. My only option is to receive a living donor liver transplant. The living donor option allows the doctors to evaluate me as an individual instead of me as a statistic to determine if I would be an acceptable recipient. In order to be a good match for me, the donor must have O negative blood type and be less than 60 years old. Living donor livers gives me the best chance of survival, because the best possible match can be made, the wait time is much less than the six-month average for deceased donors, the liver is outside the body for less than 45 minutes, and there is a decreased chance of rejection. VCU has accomplished over 120 living donor transplants over the last two and a half years. They so far have achieved a 100% success rate!
During my evaluation at the Hume-Lee Transplant Center at VCU, I learned that one of the best ways to help myself was to make sure that those closest to me know about my situation. I am hoping I will be able to find a living donor so that I can be transplanted soon so that I may live a longer and improved quality of life.
If you would like to learn more about living donation, the living donor transplant team at the Hume-Lee Transplant Center is available to talk to you confidentially. You can call the living donor transplant coordinator, Teresa Crenshaw, RN at 804-828-9249. Calling for information and education does not obligate you in any way. Your call and information regarding your donation process is kept strictly confidential, even from me, unless you consent to share this information.
In closing, I wholeheartedly appreciate any support that you can offer me, no matter how big or small. I realize that donating part of your liver may not be right for everyone, or it simply might not be the right time. I also know that donating part of your liver is a very personal decision that requires not only education about the risks and benefits but also thoughtful consideration and the support of loved ones. I hope that one of my family and friends will be able to help me. Thank-you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
Bob Bryant
