By writer to muslimlink.ca
My identify is Sidra Ali-Khan. My mom, Farah Ali, has liver most cancers and is in peril of liver failure. Farah is a mom, grandmother and spouse. She was placed on the transplant checklist for a deceased donor in June. Nevertheless, due to the lengthy wait checklist and restricted variety of livers obtainable, we’re in search of a residing liver donor with blood kind O+ or O-, to donate.
My mom is eligible for a liver transplant solely for so long as the most cancers stays throughout the liver and stays smaller than 6 cm. The largest danger is the most cancers metastasizing exterior the liver or rising too huge. We have to discover a residing donor as shortly as attainable.
Any wholesome individual can apply to donate part of their liver so long as they’re between the ages of 18 and 60 years outdated with the suitable blood kind. The donor doesn’t must be a relative or the identical ethnicity (that issues for stem cells, not organs), only a wholesome individual with blood kind O+ or O-.
The standards for residing organ donors is completely different than for blood donors. If you’re not eligible to donate blood, you should still be capable of be a residing donor.
The liver is an unimaginable organ and the donor’s will develop again in 2-Three months! This surgical procedure is extra widespread than you would possibly suppose; greater than 1,000 residing liver donor surgical procedures have been carried out in Toronto alone. Additionally, by discovering a residing donor, my mother might be faraway from the deceased donor checklist and everybody else eagerly ready for a liver will transfer up one spot. The residing donor might be saving TWO lives!
We’ve reached out to family and friends members, however to date, nobody has met the standards to have the ability to donate. In my rapid household, now we have my mom, father, sister and myself. I’m the improper blood kind to donate. My sister lately gave delivery and the surgeon stated she must wait six months earlier than being examined to be a donor… which can be too late. Each of our husbands are additionally of the wrong blood group.
We stay in Ottawa, in Bells Corners positioned within the west finish of town. Mother was recognized with liver most cancers in June. It was a horrible blow to our shut household. My mother, dad & sister immigrated to Canada from Pakistan in 1992. They made a life in Canada and raised us in Montreal, after which moved to Ottawa in 2000.
My mother used to work as a cashier for a couple of years after which opened her personal at-home daycare with an company till her well being started to deteriorate. Earlier than her well being points arose, she was an avid seamstress. My dad is a microbiologist by occupation and labored within the analysis division at College of Ottawa earlier than retiring a couple of years again.
Earlier than COVID-19 struck, our household attended Jami Omar Mosque within the west finish typically and fairly loved our time spent there. My mother retains herself busy with the few household pals and family members teams that now we have in Ottawa, and she or he additionally likes to cook dinner as certainly one of her leisurely actions.
Liver transplants are carried out at UHN’s Toronto Normal Hospital.
To learn more about living liver donation and how to apply to be my mother’s donor, click here
Potential donors apply by finishing the 11-page well being historical past. The shape asks for the recipient’s full identify and date of delivery. It is Farah Ali, born on September 17, 1960.
The Residing Liver Donor Program will contact candidates about subsequent steps. Donor testing is often performed in Toronto, however with the pandemic, potential donors can do a lot of the testing at native labs in your hometown. The testing, surgical procedure and hospital keep is roofed by Farah’s OHIP.
For bills like journey, meals, lodging and revenue alternative, there’s a reimbursement program via Trillium Reward of Life for as much as $5,500.
They’ll reimburse bills even when you get part-way via the screening course of and alter your thoughts or aren’t accepted. You may also submit receipts for reimbursement all through the method and don’t want to attend till after the surgical procedure. To learn more about reimbursement through the Trillium Gift of Life program, click here
In the event you’d wish to ask the specialists questions on turning into a residing liver donor, contact the College Well being Community Centre for Residing Donation in Toronto at This e mail tackle is being protected against spambots. You want JavaScript enabled to view it..
The UHN Centre for Residing Donation hosts a month-to-month on-line info session for Potential Residing Liver Donors. The next one is on Tuesday, November 23, 12-1 p.m, to register click here.
Please share this with anybody you recognize who may be prepared to assist. We’ll want somebody courageous and beneficiant to provide the reward of life.
Follow Liver 4 Farah Ali on Facebook here
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