ORGANized

Holiday parties

On Wednesday, December 4, the Maine group will have a social at their normal meeting time and place (Maine Medical Center, Dana Education Center, Portland, at 7:00 p.m.)

On Thursday, December 5, the chapter will sponsor a party at Lahey Clinic in Burlington at 7:30 p.m. Organizers are asking members who can to bring a light refreshment to this party. Call Barbara Tynan at 617-275-6439 to sign up for the refreshment committee. And the Vermont group is holding a meeting the same evening (Northwest Medical Center, St. Albans) at 7:00 p.m.

On Sunday, December 8, the Boston group will hold its annual holiday pot-luck luncheon at Massachusetts General Hospital. Call Karen Ferreira for details at 617-491-0819.

We should add here that this is a perfect opportunity for new members or interested non-members to meet other transplant patients, candidates, and family members in a very informal setting. You'll have a chance to get acquainted with some nice people who share a common bond with you.

And for those of you who are prevented by distance, illness, or other commitments from attending a December meeting, we wish you a very happy holiday.

Giving thanks

Today at Children's Hospital in Boston there is a beautiful, 2-year-old girl named Erin who recently underwent a heart transplant. As we all know, all too well, insurance does not cover everything. Her family could use some help in meeting the medical expenses. All donations, big and small, will be greatly appreciated. This is the perfect way to thank your donor by helping someone else in need. Make donations to:

The Erin Geraghty Heart Fund
c/o Ipswich Savings Bank
451 Andover Street
North Andover, MA 01845

Caregivers week

Since this week is also the week of Thanksgiving, it is a great time to reach out to the family caregivers we know. They deserve a round of applauseÄmake sure they get it!

For more information about NFCA, write to them at 9621 E. Bexhill Drive, Kensington, MD 20895-3104. A similar organization that offers support for caregivers is the Well Spouse Foundation, 610 Lexington Ave., Suite 814, New York, NY 10022.

Member profile

This month I'd like to tell you about how our TRIO family has grown. Below is the breakdown of who we are and where we are. As you can see, our ``family'' is much larger than a year ago, and we're still growing. Hope you enjoy reading about us as much as I enjoyed writing about us.

First, I'd like you to meet those waiting for a transplant. Among the candidates there are 31 waiting for livers, 17 for kidneys, 12 for lungs, 3 for hearts, and 1 waiting for a heart/lung.

Next are those members who have already received the ``gift of life.'' They include 85 liver recipients, 75 kidney recipients, 43 heart recipients, 9 lung recipients, and 5 kidney-pancreas recipients, and 1 bone marrow recipient.

Our TRIO family now includes 13 donor family members, as well as 78 family members, 74 professionals, and 28 other interested individuals.

And where to we all reside? Most of our family lives in Massachusetts, but we're well represented in Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont as well. Our extended family covers most of the U.S., as you'll note if you read on: Colorado, D.C., Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Texas.

We're a very large and diverse family dedicated to being seen and heard, and we are making a difference. As we continue to grow in numbers, so will our voices grow, until one day organ donation will not be something that people have to think aboutÄit will be something they just do.

Wishing you all a very safe and happy holiday season!

Reference corner

Ms. Huddleston's book shows readers how to use mind-body techniques to enhance healing as they prepare for and go through surgery. Huddleston's system is based on five steps: relaxation; visualization; organizing support; using healing statements; and meeting with the anesthesiologist.

"It is the most complete manual for approaching surgery with maximal healing power that I have ever seen," says Christiane Northrup, M.D., surgeon and past president of the American Holistic Medical Association. "This book is essential reading for those who desire to participate in their healing. I enthusiastically recommend it," says Susan Troyan, M.D., Instructor in Surgery, Harvard Medical School.

You may borrow this book from the chapter library. For a personal copy, you can purchase it for $14.95 at bookstores and many hospital gift shops. Or you can order it directly from Angel River Press, at 617-497-9431.

Note: Ms. Huddleston conducts workshops at Union Hospital in Lynn three times a week (Wednesday, 10-11am; Tuesday, 12-1pm; and Saturday, 6-7 pm). No reservation is necessary; the workshop fee is $10.00 for pre-surgical patients, who may bring one family member or friend for free. For directions, call 617-581-9200.; for more information, call 617-497-9431.

In addition, Ms. Huddleston will be the guest speaker at the March meeting at the Lahey Clinic. Mark your calendars now!

Milestones

Michael Coonfield (kidney, B&W) and Francis Meloski (liver, NEDH) are the senior recipients this month. Michael was transplanted nine years ago and Francis eight years ago.

Not far behind in seniority are Karen Ryan (liver, NEDH), Robert Savage (heart, B&W), and Marion Willard (lung, MGH), who are all celebrating their sixth anniversaries.

Mary Greene (kidney, MGH), Theresa Wilcox (kidney, B&W), and Robert Donnelly (liver, NEDH), have all reached the five-year mark.

And the class of 1992 produced a large group of TRIO members: Peter McCue (liver, NEDH), Jim Kane (heart, MGH), Bernard Hoar (liver, NEDH), Deanna Arnold (liver, Hartford Hospital), Jennie Bognore (heart, MGH), John Griffin (kidney, MGH), and Mark Lapin (heart, MGH). Happy fourth anniversary to all.

Frank D'Aurora (liver, NEDH), Irving Dark (kidney, NEDH) and Lawrence Schwartz (kidney, Univ. of Miami) are celebrating three-year anniversaries, while Howard Blakeslee (heart, B&W), Bruce Jay (kidney, NEDH), Lorene Melvin (liver, Baylor), Fred Pappas (liver, NEDH), and James DiCarlo (kidney, B&W) are celebrating two-year anniversaries.

And the list goes on. . . Stephen Siddle (heart, Children's); Kimberly Buscema (kidney, NEDH), Stephen Gill (liver, MGH), Andrew Marzilli (double lung, MGH) and Veronica Richman (kidney, MGH) are all celebrating their very special first anniversary.

To this list of November-December anniversaries, we want to add belated congratulations to Julie Hayes, whose celebrated the third anniversary of her second kidney transplant in October, and Patricia Savelo, who celebrated the first anniversary of her kidney transplant last month.

Congratulations and happy holidays to all of you.

Member news

• Barbara Mattina received a kidney transplant in October (from a living donor). Congratulations, Barbara.

• We received a news clipping about Robin Silverman, a recent liver recipient who certainly has shown her family, friends, and neighbors that transplantation works. Robin received her transplant on April 15 at NEMC. Three months later, she ran a one-mile leg in the Ipswich Marathon's 3x1 mile relay race. Robin recalls that when she first returned home, it took her a half an hour to walk a 1/4 mile. She built up her strength a little bit every day and after several weeks was able to jog a short distance. Then she set her sights on the marathonÄwhat a terrific achievement!

• Another news clipping . . . this one from Rhoda Zagorsky, who was the subject of a recent article in The Medford Transcript. Rhoda is a Massachusetts resident who received a transplant at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville, KY in September. She is an avid supporter of TRIO New England and is dedicated to educating people and raising their level of awareness regarding organ donation. This story was a good start on her mission to provide the public with the information they need to make a rational decision about organ donation.

• Kenna Sullivan and Jennie Bognore spoke at Home Life Day at the Kosmos Club in Wakefield, and Louis Sargentelli, Jr., handed out organ donor cards at the local YMCA health fair in Worcester. Meanwhile, Dick Ficociello has been making good use of his return to health by burning up the phone lines alerting local media and local religious organizations about National Donor Sabbath. And members of the very active Vermont group set up a table at the Vermont Teachers Conference to spread the word about organ donation. These are all great examples of the memberships' grass-roots efforts to increase organ donor awareness.

• Kathy and Bob Coyne have joined the ``staff'' at the TRIO New England office. They volunteered to provide coverage every Tuesday, which is a great help. Other regulars in the office include Sally Johnson, John Cederstrom, and, of course, Marty Smith. They could surely use more help. Answering the phone and mailing out information improves our response time and increases the chance that a patient or family member connects with someone when they need to.

News briefs

• The Vermont group, which meets regularly in St. Albans, is going to try to have two separate meetings each month to make TRIO more accessible to people from different parts of the state. The St. Albans meetings will continue, and another location, such as Montpelier, will begin soon. Call Ed Rhodes at 802-253-6360 if you are interested in information about the new meeting place.

• TRIO New England was recently the beneficiary of a very unique and loving donation. Joanne Kossuth and her fiance Al Benson asked wedding guests to make a contribution to TRIO New England in lieu of wedding gifts. The gifts were made in memory of George Kossuth, Joanne's father, who died several years ago from complications following a liver transplant. We thank them for their kind generosity.

• Last August, we asked for volunteers to write thank-you notes that would be mailed to donor families around Thanksgiving time. The response was terrific, and thanks to the efforts of a large number of members from throughout New England, we were able to deliver 450 notes to NEOB by early October. We'll do this again next year, and maybe then we'll be able to expand our efforts to include donor families from NEOPO as well.

• This month, UNOS announced changes in the liver allocation system. The primary change involved the definition of status one and two patients (those highest on the waiting list). We wish we could explain the change to you in lay terms, but were unable to unravel it all before press time. But we have arranged for Richard Freeman, M.D., transplant surgeon and member of the UNOS Liver and Intestinal Organ Transplantation Committee, to speak at our February chapter meeting at the Lahey Clinic. Dr. Freeman will be able to answer all your questions and explain what else is happening in the liver allocation debate.

Renewal time

If you haven't sent in your renewal notice yet, please do so now. We need to hear from you even if it's just to say that you aren't interested anymore. And remember, TRIO does not deny membership to anyone who can't afford the annual dues.

The 1997 dues are $15/individual, $25/family, and $25/professional. Of that amount $10/person goes to international, and $5 is kept by the chapter to help defray expenses.

We really want to avoid the work and expense of sending out second invoices, and we can with your help. If you lost your renewal notice, call the office and let us know. If you just haven't gotten around to it yet, please take a minute to complete the form now. We'd appreciate it!

Upcoming events

Lahey Clinic
December 5. Holiday social.
January 23. Christine Buckley, NEOB, will talk about the results of their 2-year study on donor potential in New England.

Maine Medical Center
December 4. Holiday social.

Other Meetings

• Massachusetts General Hospital. 12:00 noon on the second Sunday of each month in the Harris Room of the Bigelow Building (10th floor, Room 1002). For more information, call Joe Ferreira at 617-491-0819.
• South County Hospital, Wakefield, RI. 7:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month. For more information, call Florence Browning at 401-539-7606.
• Northwest Medical Center, St. Albans, Vermont. December 5. Call Nancy or Joe Bell at 802-524-7318.

More information

Martin Smith
TRIO New England
Lakeside Office Park
607 North Avenue, Door 14
Wakefield, MA 01880
Phone: 617-224-1270
Fax: 617-224-1929
email: BYGJ31A@prodigy.com

 

Last modified: 22 September, 2003