Organ Shortage Prompts Nephew to Become a Liver Donor for His Uncle

According to Where Are The Donors?, courant.com, Jan. 23. 2008:

Mr. Gray, 29, donated half of his liver to his uncle Daniel Gray, 59, whose own liver was failing due to a large tumor.***

As The Courant’s Hilary Waldman reported, the operation can be very risky for the donor; two have died in the past decade.***

Yet a question we must ask is why he had to do it.

Doctors began a limited use of transplants from living donors because there are not enough livers from deceased people.*** About 7,000 people, including almost 2,000 on the liver transplant list, die every year while waiting for a lifesaving organ.*** Meanwhile, countless usable organs are buried or cremated every day.***
   

It can be done by going to a Department of Motor Vehicles office when getting or renewing your driver’s license, or by going to the department’s website, www.ct.gov/dmv.