Would YOU?
Jocko Gold, who had suffered kidney complications due to hypertension, was spending three hours every other day on a hemodialysis machine and needed a transplant.
Boeing Fabrication employee Jim Kakuschke walked up to his co-worker one cold winter day a year and a half ago and offered up his kidney to the ailing numerical control operator.
They both work at Boeing's Auburn, WA. plant....but so do 1,000 other people. The two had known each other only as acquaintances attending the same lunches and union meetings.
"I believe that prayers are answered, but for Jim to offer up part of his body to me was amazing," said Gold, a 14-year Boeing employee.
Kakuschke, who has worked at Boeing 18 years, remains humble about his donation. "I heard about Jocko's plight and felt like I could help him," he explained.
Personally I find this story incredible. I don't think I could do that for what amounts to a stranger.
You never know what the future holds and you might need that kidney yourself.
Kakuschke, being a biker, has even more reason to be concerned about his kidneys.
Would you do this?
Good thing his new kidney wasn't rejected by his body...
It was touch and go for a couple months. Readmitted to the hospital twice, but in the end it took. :D
No takers, huh? Should have put up a pole I guess. :lol:
I've never been faced with such a choice, but I would surely consider it.
Pay it forward...always pay it forward.
i'd have to think long and hard on that one. probably 50/50.
I'd like to think I'd help a stranger out, but in reality, I probably wouldn't. It would be too easy to think that it should be someone else's responsibility. Beside's I might need it.
It's kind of like crawling out onto thin ice to save someone that broke through. It might just end up killing you.
I wouldn't have to know the person, but I would have to have had ample time to observe their behavior and determine that they were good people and therefore worth it.
I might do this for someone I was close to, say a best friend or family member, but for someone I barely know? A janitor in my building, or my postman? Likely not. I wonder, deep down, what his motivations were. I don't mean sinister ones, but like maybe he was trying to make up for something 'bad' he did earlier. You know, sort of like trying to cleanse his karma or something. Whatever his reason, he DID it, and that's pretty dang cool.
[/hijack kind of]I am seriously considering being an incubaor for my brother and sister in law so that they can have a baby of their own. The 2 main reasons are #1, the sheer joy that a child can bring to two people, and #2 so my daughter can have a cousin. Would I do this for someone I barely knew? Hell no. Do you know what having a baby does to your body? But for them, I would sacrifice my MILF status because I know how incredible having a kid can be.
Not. Not to be selfish or self centered, but I would feel pretty damn stupid if I did that and one of my immediate family came up needing one. I wonder why Gold's family didn't heed to the cause? Maybe the poor guy has no family.
I'd have to say NO, too. A complete stranger isn't going to get my kidney. I guess this means I'm not like Jesus, coz, man, he'd probably do it.
:haha:
I guess this means I'm not like Jesus, coz, man, he'd probably do it.
You could be a female version of Jesus. Maybe a Jesusette. :bolt:
Not. Not to be selfish or self centered, but I would feel pretty damn stupid if I did that and one of my immediate family came up needing one. I wonder why Gold's family didn't heed to the cause? Maybe the poor guy has no family.
It's apparently not usual for the situation to be "no family willing to donate," especially when the intended recipient is African American. Tissue matching across races is much less likely, from what I understand from a friend's wife who used to be a transplant coordinator. This may be why the fellow had more early problems with possible rejection.
From "
Living Legacy Registry"
Can organs be given to different racial groups or individuals of opposite sex?
In most cases, race and gender are not factors. However, organ size is critical to match a donor heart, lung or liver with a recipient. Genetic makeup is a crucial factor when matching a kidney or pancreas donor and recipient. {emphasis added} Therefore, an individual of Asian descent may match better with a kidney donated from another Asian versus a different race—as will an African American to another African American. Cross-racial donations can, and do, happen with great success when matches are available.
If itwould help someone Iwould do it.
My firned works there. Hedoesnt personally know those guys but had heard of them. NOt that it has to do with much.
Sometimes people suck very little. Thanks for the good news.
I would do it for someone I knew well. A semi-stranger? Probably not.
Whatever his motivation, the dude saved someone's life. Can't fault that and I wish them both well.
I have to say that the idea of having to have something as simple as tonsils taken out terrifies me, so no, definately not. My kidneys can stay right where they are. I would have to be somebody's last resort for me to offer myself to have parts removed. I don't even know how I would react if I had to be on the receiving end of a transplant. :mg: :worried: :thepain2:
This is a tough question, xoB. My first inclination is to say yes. I would want to help someone. But how to hook up is a big question. I wouldn't just want to walk down the street with a sign, "Kidney, free, you haul". Plus, honestly, how does the expense get handled? That is a biggie.
I have gone through testing as a potential bone marrow donor for someone who was suffering from leukemia. Turned out I was not a compatible donor.
I don't know. I "say" yes, and still I sit on both of them. I guess my actions speak louder than my words. No. Or at least, not yet.
edit: fwiw, I have agreed to be an organ donor. hehe, I first wrote I am an organ donor...that's not quite right. Anyway. I figure I'm done with them, whatever "them" may be. I hope I can help many people, corneas, skin, heart, kidneys, whatever.
I am unable to donate blood and/or organs, even with the current blood shortage, because I lived in England > 3 months in the 90's. That takes over 25,000 Americans out of the donor pool just counting ONE rotation in the American Forces in England (counting Lakenheath, Mildenhall, Alconbury, Bedford, and the other itty bitty RAF bases. Think about the fact that every month we'd have 100 go home and then 100 n00bs arrive.
The worry is CJD (mad cow). They have no way to test for it in the blood stream, and they are afraid it may have some sort of incubation period, and then BAM! CJD.
Well, I'm sorry, but I don't see all the Brits that lived in England running around getting hit with CJD alla sudden (like the mass populous) so I think not allowing the military (or extended tourist or business people) to donate blood/organs is dumb.
I would give every 8 weeks if they would let me. But they won't.
Meantime, back on topic, I don't think I would be able to give a complete stranger any organs. I'm saving them for family members that may need them.
In the U.S.:
Autopsies revealed that 3-13% of people diagnosed with Alzhiemers or Dementia were actually sufferring from CDJ. These findings indicate that at least 120,000 cases are undetected as we speak.
I would say the governments are trying to be "careful" , but the U.S. Center for Disease control still refuses to make CJD a reportable disease.
That makes about as much sense to me as a screen door on a submarine.
No, because I'm type O negative, so basically, if I ever need a transplant, I am totally screwed. I need to keep all my organs.
In the U.S.:
Autopsies revealed that 3-13% of people diagnosed with Alzhiemers or Dementia were actually sufferring from CDJ. These findings indicate that at least 120,000 cases are undetected as we speak.
I would say the governments are trying to be "careful" , but the U.S. Center for Disease control still refuses to make CJD a reportable disease.
That makes about as much sense to me as a screen door on a submarine.
I would be very interested to see the source of this information. I've always heard that many cases of Alzhiemers could possibly be CJD, but I've never seen any hard evidence that supports this claim. If actual autopsies support this, then this is a HUGE story. What's your source?
No problem, Glatt. I had never researched the topic in depth until recently. Most people are vaguely aware of the magnitude of the problem here in the U.S. The Brits aren't the only ones who need to beware.
The link I was semi- quoting is:
http://www.foe.org/factoryfarms/madcowfactsheet.pdfThanks.
Reading that, I see that I jumped to conclusions when I read your post that 13% of Alzheimers patients really had CJD. I wrongly assumed your comment was talking about vCJD, which is the version you get from infected cows. They are talking about regular classic CJD which may or may not have come from cows or some other sources. Still, it's a pretty amazing set of studies that as many as 13% of all Alzheimer patients really have CJD.
yes, in similar circumstances, i would.
but let me fill in a few details. Jim and Jocko have not only both worked at Boeing for a long time, they have both been shop stewards for the aeromechanics union for many years. so, for example, when Jocko started to get sick, all of the people in his shop started bringing extra food in their lunches to make sure he was eating right and they wouldn't let him carry his tools anywhere. I think it's just becuz for all those years, he was helping everyone as their union steward, and they just wanted to be able to do something for him for once. so although they didn't know each other personally, Jim already knew that Jocko was a decent person who was dedicated to helping other people.
and why there wasn't a family donor: hypertension and diabetes tend to run in families, dontcha know. and, like a lot of families in the Black community (including my own), even if there are family members who are healthy enough now to be potential donors, no doctor would consider them acceptable candidates becuz of the probability that in the future, they themselves will get sick.
Hi missm2u, welcome to the Cellar. :D
Thanks for the details. You obviously have first hand information....cool.
How did you find us?