Life is only as normal as we perceive it to be. Prior to any of my health challenges, my life almost felt too normal. I first noticed something was amiss when I was 15 years old, after finishing last place in a cross-country race. It wasn’t the last-place finish that
Tagged as: liver disease
From Sharing a Desk to Sharing a Liver
Written by John Paulsen, liver transplant recipient from living donor One spring day during my junior year of high school, the usual lunchtime banter was abruptly interrupted by one of my friends exclaiming, “Oh my god, Paulsen—your eyes are yellow!” This initial discovery led to months of concern and confusion,
Early Liver Transplant Recipient Shares His Story
In 1990, after living with cirrhosis for years, Charlie Scott was introduced to Dr. Thomas Starzl, the first person to perform liver transplantation in humans. When Dr. Starzl told him about this risky new procedure, Charlie figured he had nothing to lose. 29 years later, Charlie is still going strong
A Living Act of Kindness
Jordan is Hudson’s mother and organ donation advocate. My son, Hudson, was born on October 27th, 2016 with a condition called heterotaxy. At ten days old, he underwent surgery to prevent bowel mal-rotation and, while operating, an exploratory search revealed Hudson’s liver was shaped abnormally, had an unusual color, and
It’s Not About the Cards You Are Dealt; It’s About How You Play Your Hand
Jacob Ragland is a liver transplant recipient and college student at the University of Tennessee. At my high school, every senior is required to recite a personal talk in front of the entire student body and staff. This task was in the back of my mind going into my senior
Serendipity
“You were approved.” These three words could be said to a 35-year-old woman for many different reasons – maybe approved for a loan for a new home, approved to buy a car, approved for a promotion or maybe to move forward with adopting a child. For me, I heard these
Being a Hero is Being an Organ Donor
I have been asked a number of times to tell my story, in writing, of receiving the amazing gift of a liver. And one would think since I have shared it publicly hundreds of times in front of high school students, fellow nurses, and physicians that it would be easy.