Pancreas Transplant Means No More Diabetes

Back in February, within a 36-hour period, three patients suffering from diabetes received pancreas transplants at New York Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical Center. After the transplants, each patient was cured of diabetes. One of the transplant surgeons described their cure as "immediate."

English: Diagram shows insulin release from the Pancreas and how this lowers blood sugar leves. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Diabetes is a disease in which the human body cannot regulate blood sugar amounts due to the pancreas not producing a sufficient amount of insulin. The three patients who received the transplants no longer have to endure a daily regimen of finger pricks, blood sugar level checks, and insulin injections. Each of the three patients had suffered from diabetes nearly their whole lives. Now, with their new pancreata, "It's freedom, complete freedom," as one of the recipients, Neal Bertron put it.

Each year, only about 1200 pancreas transplants are done in the U.S., but you can help by registering as an organ and tissue donor. For more information about organ and tissue donation, including how to register as a donor where you live, please visit the Tennessee Organ Donation Foundation, Inc. website at www.SaveLivesTN.org by clicking here.

Read more - ny1.com article titled "Organ Donation Provides Diabetes Patients with Sudden, Life-Changing Cure"

Related articles

• Organ Donation Provides Diabetes Patients With Sudden, Life-Changing Cure (manhattan.ny1.com)
• Pancreas transplant saves diabetes patients (mervsheppard.blogspot.com)
• Organ Donation Provides Diabetes Patients With Sudden, Life-Changing Cure (statenisland.ny1.com)

Making Plans and Holding On

Molly Pearce, 24, has her future planned out with her boyfriend, Corey Eaker. They have cruises to go on and trips, including ones to New York and Australia, to take. They even have the names, Peyton and Colt, of their two future children planned out. However, there is one thing that must happen first in order to see their plans come to fruition - Molly needs a transplant.

Molly needed an intestinal transplant at birth, but such a surgery did not exist at that time. She lived on a liquid diet until she received the needed transplant at the age of 13. However, at the age of 12, a medical error put Molly even further behind the 8-ball. She was given an antibiotic that should have only been given to hospital in-patients. Worse yet, the dose she received was too large. The error severely damaged Molly's kidneys putting her way behind on the road to recovery.

English: Doctor Preforming An Organ Transplant. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After the intestinal transplant, Molly could eat solid food for the first time in her life, and doctors thought, and hoped, that the additional nutrition she was getting might heal her damaged kidneys. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. So, in 2007, Molly's mom donated a kidney to her. By all accounts, the combination of the intestinal and kidney transplant gave Molly the two best years of her life.

Unfortunately, 2012 saw things take a turn for the worse. Molly went to a local emergency room, because she was feeling bad. While there, she was given the wrong type of blood leaving her in need of a four-organ transplant, including liver, kidney, pancreas, and small intestine. The toughest part is that all four organs must come from the same donor, and Molly is running out of time.

Molly's story is a difficult one. In need of one transplant at birth, she finds her self needing an even more complicated transplant at the young age of 24 through no fault of her own. Molly needs a hero and needs one soon. There are over 117,000 Americans like Molly currently needing life-saving transplants from heros, too. The good thing is that we know what the solution is - it is more Americans registering as organ and tissue donors.

For more information about organ and tissue donation, including how to register in the state where you live, please visit our website at www.SaveLivesTN.org. One day, you might be a hero to someone like Molly.

Be a hero - register today.

Read more : www.smdp.com article titled "SMC Student Holding Out for Four Organ Transplant"

9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant

New England area

Nine-year-old Alannah Shevenell recently received a 6-organ transplant. The little girl received a new small intestine, stomach, pancreas, liver, spleen, and part of an esophagus. In doing so, she set a New England-area record for the most organs transplanted at one time.

Alannah's record-setting transplant was necessary, because a rare cancerous growth called an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor had spread it's tentacles throughout her abdomen. The tumor caused swelling, pain, and an inability to eat. Alannah's doctors made two failed surgical attempts to remove the huge tumor. Chemotherapy had failed to rid Allanah of the monster, also. Her only hope for survival was to remove the tumor and all the organs and tissues it had wrapped itself around.

Alanah spent a year waiting on the needed transplant which doctors only gave her a 50% chance of surviving. However, she survived the surgery, despite its complexity, and the great blood loss that went with it. She is now doing well and learning how to adjust to her new routines, such as avoiding crowds and taking numerous medications. After spending three months in the hospital recovering from her transplant surgery, Alannah's just fine with all the adjustments saying that she's happy, "Just being home."

For more information about organ and tissue donation, including how to register as an organ and tissue donor in your area, please visit the Tennessee Organ Donation Foundation's website at https://www.SaveLivesTN.org/ by clicking here.

Read more - today.com article titled "Maine Girl Bouncing Back After 6-Organ Transplant"

Making A Difference

Back in March of this year, a young man named Ty Osman was attending college in Arkansas when he began a spring break trip to Texas. Unfortunately, he never reached his destination, because he perished in a traffic accident en route. To one Texas man, though, and his family, Ty will always be remembered as a hero.

Peritoneal dialysis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kelly Barnes was diagnosed with diabetes at a young age. By 2011, he found himself on dialysis, because his kidneys were failing. When young Ty passed away in that tragic accident, however, Kelly received Ty's pancreas and one of his kidneys and is no longer on dialysis nor does he need insulin. According to Barnes, "Because of the organs I received from Osman, I can look forward to a long healthy life."

Last month, Barnes got to meet Ty's family at a special ceremony at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Texas. Ty's family, including his mother, his father, and two sisters, joined Barnes for the hospital's dedication of the Wall of Heroes which honors organ and tissue donors. Ty's mother, Nancy, was very happy to meet Barnes saying, "It's a blessing. I'm glad to see that Ty is still making a difference in the lives of others, even after his death."

Ty also donated his other kidney, heart, liver, and lungs saving additional lives. If you would like more information on organ and tissue donation, please visit the Tennessee Organ Donation Foundation's website by clicking here. While visiting the site, you can also learn how to register as an organ and tissue donor in the state where you live.

Read more : article on www.news-journal.com titled "Organ Donation Changes Lives"