The gift of life

The gift of life

By HEIZEL L. MAINAR
December 21, 2009, 3:47pm
Manila Bulletin

"The Renal Disease Registry of 2006 records 10,000 to 12,500 Filipinos develop renal disease annually and approximately 60 percent are suitable kidney transplant candidates; but only less than 10 percent are actually transplanted, only 350 will be able to get a transplant out of the 6,000 in the waiting list" relates Dr. Ernie Vera, Department of Health’s (DoH) Medical Officer VII and program manager of the Philippine Organ Donation.

The Registry shows that 68 percent are Living Non-related Donors (LNRDs), 22 percent Living-Related Donors (LRDs) and only 10 percent from deceased donors which the latter could be a way to offset the deficit.

“The rest will either die waiting or live the rest of their lives suffering through medical complications, and the way to offset this grim deficit is found in deceased organ donation,” says Dr. Angel Joaquin Amante, president and COO of the local initiative, the Integrated Program on Organ Donation (IPOD) during the First Organ Donation and Transplantation Summit.

Adapted internationally, Dr. Amante shares that “Deceased organ donation has served to allay the problem of organ supply as well as to control social issues such as organ selling and trafficking,” and adds that “one of the most successful countries to adapt this system is the United States and among its pioneers is Howard Nathan.”

Nathan, president and CEO of the Gift of Life Donor Program, shares that the Gift of Life serves as the link between donors and patients awaiting life-saving transplants. “It has coordinated more than 25,000 organ transplants and hundreds of thousands of tissue transplants. At present, it is considered as one of the biggest and most established Organ Procurement Office (OPO) in the United States.”

According to him, 50 percent of the organs came from deceased donors and that 150 hospitals in the US are encouraged to refer potential donors. “In their voluntary capacity to report, identify, determine suitability of a possible donor,” he says and explains that there is a mandate by a state law that every patient in the hospital could be a donor, “to make good of a potential tragedy.”

OPOs practice in other countries can serve as a model and according to Dr. Amante, “Looking at it from another perspective, it means that we don’t have to go though the same trial and error process or go through the same learning curve because there’s already an existing and working model that we can follow.”

Furthermore, Dr. Vicente V. Tanseco, IPOD chairman, explains that before, one of the only sources of kidney donation is from trauma like anoerism but other cases now can also be tapped. Moreover, culture also plays a big factor in the promotion of deceased organ donation for he explains “that it is far easier to convince a living relative to donate a kidney than the family of a dying donor.” That is besides the fact that deceased organ donation is already an accepted practice and that other countries already had a head start, some even as much as 30 years.

“Eventually, we hope not only to make the Philippines compliant with internationally accepted standards of organ donation and transplantation; but to ensure that every Filipino says ‘yes’ to deceased donation.” And a way to achieve this is through education which Dr. Tanseco explains that the lack of it slackens the campaign and says “Education not only on the common people but also the physicians, nurses and hospital staffs.”

Currently, the DoH already sent invitations to hospitals for documentation of possible organ donors for none exists at the moment. Also, the initiatives of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) before to emulate US Driver’s License Registry can only work if sustained and coordinated with other agencies.

An Immediate Response

Since one of the pressing issues on organ donation and supply is organ trafficking, the DoH released an Administrative Order that prohibits selling or organ trafficking perhaps due to the spark created by a television documentary in 1991 (it exposes an alleged “kidneys-for-sale racket.”) And to prevent the commercialization of organ donors, the DoH and National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) are implementing the Philippine Organ Donation Program (PODP) which ensures, among others, the prioritization of Filipino patients in the organ recipient waiting list.

In a recent health forum, Dr. Enrique Ona, executive director of NKTI states that PODP ensures the safety of both organ donor and recipient and explains, “That payment as precondition for kidney donation and sale or purchase of kidneys from organ vendors are strictly prohibited; and that kidney transplantation is not part of medical tourism.”

While Dr. Antonio Paraiso, Consultant in Nephrology at NKTI, explains that with the existing law, “Advertising the need for or availability of organs, with a view to offering or seeking payment is a crime against trafficking in persons and likewise, the selling or buying of human organs.”

He adds that “If the recipient of a Filipino kidney is not Filipino, a crime against trafficking in persons would be committed,” thus, he stresses that “No alien may receive organs from Filipino living non-related donors.”

Moreover, Dr. Angeles Tan-Alora, Member of the Southeast Asian Center for Bioethics stresses that “Organ donation should be based on free and informed consent. Let us work together to remove the conditions that promote abuse and exploitation, such as poverty, ignorance and greed.”

As response, Novartis, in collaboration with transplantation organizations around the world, created the Transplantation Tree of Life initiative which promotes awareness on voluntary organ donation, the lack of available organs, the unmet medical needs in transplantation as well as the company’s commitment and focus on improving long-term outcomes in transplantation. To date, the Transplantation Tree of Life program has been launched in South Korea, Russia, France, Germany, Portugal, Poland, Austria, Greece, Spain, and Thailand.

The Ultimate Gift

Thirty-two years, seven months and 14 days – Col. Mauro Lachica recalls the years that span after he received a gift of organ. At 80 years old, the still vibrant Colonel humorously says that he is using a cane not because of his transplant but because of prostheses.

Working then at the Malacañang Presidential Security Command, Col. Lachica just arrived from Kathmandu in Nepal and when the plane landed, he could not feel his feet. He was brought to the hospital and was diagnosed with kidney failure.

It was all too new for the brave Korean war veteran and the six months confinement at a military hospital dampened his spirit. He needed to undergo a kidney transplant and knew then that there was a long list of patients who needed the same. He thought then that working in the government could hasten his search for a donor. Thus, a search for a match was done and the penal colony was tapped. Around 300 prisoners were examined and alas! He found a match but convincing him proved to be harder than he thought.

He needed to undergo surgery soon but was left with no other choice. Until his sister, volunteered to be a donor. “Bahala na ang Diyos,” recalls the 71 years old Conchita. Their mother did not approve of her decision for she was the only female among the siblings. “Natatakot ang nanay na baka mamatay ako,” tells the seemingly shy sister.

She was just 39 years old then with young children to attend. She expected the same protests from her husband but was surprised to learn that he supported her decision, “Para (daw) huwag mamatay si manong.”

Giving Back The Life

“He gave me life, I gave him life. Now we’re even,” says Mikko Romero humorously. Mikko was 29 years old then and working as a flight steward when he learned that his father was diagnosed with a kidney failure. It was in 1993, the time when his father, Miguel Romero, was at the height of his career serving as a Congressman at the 2nd District of Negros Oriental.

Mikko tells that his father’s condition alarmed his mother and his seven other siblings. It pushed them to find possible solutions. It prompted them to research and chanced upon a vital information that could save his father’s life. “We have two kidneys, if one fails, we still have another one,” he says.

Unlike the Lachica siblings, Mikko’s family opted to find a match within their family and it was only he who passed the rigid test. He confesses that they considered a living non-related donor before but after giving much thought, they decided not to buy any time for the list was long. Yet, the senior Romero took another year before he decided to undergo transplant.

“He secretly was having a dialysis,” smiles Mikko as he recalls how his father juggled work, family, and dialysis. However, after the urging of his family, Congressman Romero went under the knife in 1994.

The family flew to Houston, Texas. He recalls that he was told by the doctor to count one to three backwards. And when he woke up, the surgery was over. “It took three to six hours to extract the kidneys,” he says but being an athlete who loves life, the always smiling Mikko tells that he and his father needed to stay at home to recuperate.

For the body has the tendency to reject an organ, he shied away from the sports for two months and this he fondly calls pain of love. Now, the senior Romero is a director of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and maintains his health, cuts down the sugar level and attends regular gym sessions while Mikko is busy with his business, enjoys family life and went back to his sports.

“I run everyday and I bike. I run for a cause and I hope there will be a run for organ donation...and I love my father,” he ends.

The Love of a Father

The sound of his voice, full of authority, captures the attention of the audience. As one catches intently the every line he says, some listeners could not help but to heave a deep breath and utter a silent thank you.

Atty. Vince Torres is a philanthropist. Driven by his love for his daughter, Maria Corazon, he set up a foundation that extends financial help to indigent Filipinos who need organ transplants. As he recalls how the foundation came about, Atty. Torres tells that his daughter was a linguist, “French, Italian, Spanish...” his voice trails at the memories.

It was in 1990 when Maria Corazon suffered aneurism but he knew that her other organs were in good condition. Perhaps, wanting to see her daughter live through helping others, he then sought the help of Dr. Alano for the harvesting of her heart, kidney and liver. He wanted to commemorate her death and wanted to help other people as well. But the good doctor told him, “Why just a one shot deal? Why not put up a foundation? And so he did.

Until now, the Maria Corazon Torres Javier Organ Transplant Foundation continues to help indigent Filipinos “If you need financial support for transplant, our office is open and if you are really an indigent, then we will help you,” he says and next year during the Kidney Organ Transplant month in June, Atty. Torres announces that the foundation will be providing one free organ transplant for the memory of Maria Corazon.

Indeed, it is heart warming to know that there are some people who would give a part of themselves to save others and as Dr. Ona puts it, “Kidney donors save lives. Be a hero, be an organ donor.”

Source URL: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/235063/the-gift-life