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10 Patients, 5 Kidneys, 1 Story That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity

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“More than 100,000 people are waiting on the kidney transplant list, with some waiting for weeks, months, or even years for the call that could change their life.

That makes what happened at Houston Methodist in October even more extraordinary.

Ten people, including a husband and wife, a boss and her employee, a mother and son, two sisters, and two cousins, took part in a kidney swap. The five pairs were strangers before they walked into the hospital and left with a life-long bond.

Tara and John “HB” Berliski from Magnolia, Texas, have been married for 15 years.

HB started experiencing pain 20 years ago and thought he pulled a muscle. Doctors soon discovered his kidneys were enlarged because of polycystic kidney disease. HB had both kidneys removed, went on dialysis, and waited for a donor.”

Read the full news story, here.

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Chuck Lorre’s ‘B Positive’ Puts a (Slightly) More Urgent Spin on the TV Odd Couple: TV Review

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“The first two episodes of the show, though, do set up enough side plots and dynamics to suggest that there’s plenty of material to mine going forward. It’s also not hard to see where “B Positive” could sit among the latest slate of CBS multi-cam sitcoms produced by Chuck Lorre, namely “Mom” and “Bob Hearts Abishola.” With settings like Gina’s job at an assisted living facility and Drew’s dialysis group turned frank support group, “B Positive” works to lend more personality and authenticity to what could otherwise be just a basic odd couple show. Should it get the room to go forward, the show would be smart to expand upon those elements that make Gina and Drew seem more human instead of leaning on their wacky differences.”

Read the full review, here.

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Kidney Transplant Chain Is A Touching Act of Kindness

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“You never know where an act of kindness ends.

Tara Berliski of Magnolia, Texas, offered to donate a kidney to her husband, John Berliski. His were removed in July because of polycystic kidney disease. Doctors at the Houston Methodist Hospital living donor program explained that because John Berliski has type AB blood, he could receive a kidney from almost any donor. But if John and Tara Berliski chose to enter a kidney swap program, they might be able to help someone else, too; someone else might help them.”

Read the full opinion piece, here.

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National Campaign to Capture Stories of Hope and Transformation Through Living Donation

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“The Transplant Research and Education Center (TREC), in partnership with the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation and One Lambda, Inc. (onelambda.com), part of Thermo Fisher Scientific and leading producer of in vitro diagnostic products for the HLA transplant community, has launched a six-month mass media campaign for kidney and transplant patients, living donors, and medical providers to raise awareness about the innovative resources available through the Living Donation Storytelling Project.”

Read the full article, here.

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NASCAR Driver Races to Shine Light on Organ Donations

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“A NASCAR driver is racing to call attention to an issue close to his heart – organ donations.
Joey Gase raced Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth in the Autotrader Echopark Automotive 500.
Gase’s hood was covered with handprints from the families of organ donors — and those whose lives they saved.”

Watch the interview and read the full story, here.

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New Records Set for Organ Donation and Transplantation Despite Pandemic

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“INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Despite the COVID-19 pandemic – and with more than two months remaining in 2020 – a record number of Hoosier organ donors have already given the gift of life through Indiana Donor Network, resulting in a record number of lifesaving organs transplanted in a single calendar year.

From Jan. 1 through Oct. 12, 2020, Indiana Donor Network, the state’s federally designated organ recovery organization, made it possible for 667 lifesaving organs to go to patients on the national transplant waiting list. This total breaks Indiana Donor Network’s existing record of 665 lifesaving organs transplanted in all of 2019 and puts the organization on pace to facilitate 28% more organ transplants this year than last year.”

Read the full article by Indiana Donor Network, here.

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Philly area women appear on ‘Ellen’ after inspiring bond through kidney donation

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“Breanna Sipple and Erin Francis were strangers in the Philadelphia area three years ago when a single Facebook post changed both of their lives.

Francis was 24 years old and had just gotten married when she went into kidney failure. She was uneasy about sharing her story and seeking help, but her husband acted as a champion and made a Facebook post in search of an organ donor for Francis.”

Read the full story and watch the video clip, here.

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Honor Organ Donors By Saving Procurement Organizations

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“When Cyndi and Frank Grobmeier lost their 18-year-old daughter, Maddie, to an asthma attack, they honored her wish to be an organ donor. Gift of Hope, the organ procurement organization in Chicago that met with the Grobmeier family in the hospital when Maddie died, is still helping them cope with their loss. As Mrs. Grobmeier reminds us in her guest column in the Daily Southtown, donors and their families make every transplant possible.”

Read the full story on UNOS, here.

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Is ‘2 Hearts’ Movie Based On A True Story?

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“Yes, it is! The film is based on the real-life story of Jorge Bacardi — of the Bacardi Rum dynasty — and Christopher Gregory, an organ donor who tragically and suddenly passed away at the age of 19 from a brain aneurysm. Christopher’s organs were donated to five people, one of them being Jorge. The movie is an adaptation of the book All My Tomorrows, written by Chris’ dad.”

Read the full article and watch the trailer, here.

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