DONOR | Robert's Story

Robert Spring

LIVING Liver DONOR NEEDED

Life is hard. But it's harder if you're stupid. John Wayne

I served 20 years in the Coast Guard as an aviator and I actively participated in search and rescue looking for people who needed assistance. I retired from that in 1999 and totally retired from work in 2010 to spend time with my family and my grandkids. In 2019 I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and I've been in the hospital for stays numerous times. On occasion I've been hospitalized because of blood loss and I needed blood transfusions, other times I've been there so they can do endoscopic procedures and clip off the veins that are bleeding. I also wanna let you know that I really didn't drink throughout my lifetime, I got this because I had high cholesterol, causing fatty liver disease, leading to cirrhosis. Now I take shots to keep cholesterol down (it was the 2nd highest my cardiologist the ever seen) but the shots I give myself basically yeah basically as a man made substance that destroys cholesterol.

I've had cirrhosis for almost three years. I was pursuing my 3rd degree black belt in Kenpo. I can't travel to see the children and grandchildren because driving is too painful. I also don't know when I will bleed out or have too much ammonia in my blood, which can cause brain damage.

I can basically do nothing at this time I lay on the couch most days and drift off to sleep several times throughout the day. I also can't go to the Sunday school class because I don't when I will wake up because insomnia is an issue as well. Getting a new liver would give me life back.

You can volunteer to be a live donor and they'll do it totally Anonymous. I didn't realize that I could give half my liver away and the liver will become a whole liver in both people, the donor and the recipient within 3 months.. Please share this if you can, I would appreciate it greatly if you can share this with your friends and God-bless you all!

START YOUR JOURNEY

Become Robert Spring's Donor

If you are considering being a living donor please use links below to contact Robert Spring's Transplant Center. Begin by completing the donor questionnaire

Fill Out DONOR Questionnaire
(INQUIRES ARE 100% CONFIDENTIAL)

Becoming a Liver DONOR Find a Transplant Center near you

Johns Hopkins Hospital

1800 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD, 21287

(410) 614-2989 Email Transplant Center

Did you know?

Medical expenses for living organ donors are 100% covered, and inquires from potential donors are 100% confidential! Contact the Transplant Center to learn more about living donation.

More Donor FAQs

Share the Importance of Living Donation

Liver transplantation has been a successful treatment and standard of care for end-stage liver disease since the early 1980s.

Technical advancements in liver surgery, as well as the liver's tremendous ability to regenerate, have made living donor liver transplantation a life-saving reality.

There are currently 120,000 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant in the U.S. Of these, 15,000 await liver transplants.

Although more than 6,000 liver transplants were performed last year, over 1,700 patients died while waiting on the list.

Deceased donor livers are allocated to patients based on how sick they are, determined by their MELD score, where sicker patients receive priority.

Living donation offers patients the option of transplant before they get very sick--regardless of MELD score--significantly decreasing the time they wait for a liver.

Living donation not only saves the life of the recipient; it also frees up a liver for a patient on the waiting list who does not have that option.

The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease (PELD) are numerical, objective scales that allocate available livers to the sickest patients. Patients move up the list as their scores increase.

The first living donor liver transplant took place in 1988. Since then, living donors have continued giving the gift of life and making a difference.

When a recipient has a living donor, the wait time for transplant is shorter and the transplant can be scheduled in advanced when the recipient is in good health and when it is convenient for both the donor and the recipient.

Financial burdens shouldn’t prevent the gift of life. The National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) can offer financial support for living donor travel expenses.

Share Quote Via:

Robert's Champions

Carole

Spouse (invited)

Karen

Family

Looking for a liver for my dad.

View Story