Apr. 21--Karen Stavish wants to thank her organ donor's family, but at the same time she doesn't know what to say.
Stavish, 49, of Plains Township has mixed feelings whenever she thinks about sending the family a letter.
Still, after almost two years, she's been unable to put her gratitude into words. The same as many other organ donor situations, Stavish received her new kidney and pancreas from a cadaver, so the person's family suffered a terrible loss for her gain.
In August 2006, Stavish received a double organ transplant to help her deal with complications caused by chronic diabetes.
Although Stavish finds it difficult to contact her organ donor's family, that doesn't stop her from speaking out about organ transplant procedures and how it saved her life. In 2003, the U.S. government established April as National Donate Life Month.
Throughout the year, Stavish reminds her family and friends of the importance of pledging to become an organ donor. There are more than 98,000 people in the country in need of an organ transplant, according to Department of Health statistics.
"If you can help somebody, why not sign up?" Stavish said. "A lot of people die because they don't receive kidneys. That's heartbreaking."
Since the age of 14, Stavish has lived with diabetes. She always had to watch her sugar levels, take insulin and monitor her health. She was determined to make sure she controlled her diabetes by educating herself on the condition and regularly going to the doctor.
Although she ate correctly and exercised, in spring 2006 Stavish's doctor told her she would need to go on dialysis because her kidneys weren't functioning.
When patients undergo dialysis, they must go each day to have fluids and waste removed from their bodies to replace the normal activities of the kidneys. The process takes about two hours daily, and is very physically exhausting for patients.
"It was so frightening to me because I was always determined not to let diabetes get the best of me," Stavish said.
While receiving dialysis treatment daily at DaVita Dialysis in Scranton, Stavish went through preliminary tests -- blood work and psychiatric evaluations -- to qualify to become the recipient of an organ transplant. After she cleared the evaluations, she was put on a waiting list and carried a beeper wherever she went, so the hospital could inform her when a donor was found.
Sometimes, family or friends of a patient will volunteer to be an organ donor, but Stavish declined to ask anybody she knew. Stavish felt this would put too much pressure on a loved one if that person matched her.
After being on a waiting list for a year and a half, Stavish underwent the six-hour double transplant surgery in August 2006 at Pinnacle Health in Harrisburg. She received a kidney to assist with her kidney failure and pancreas to enable her body to produce insulin.
For the last 16 years, Stavish has worked as production coordinator for the marketing department of the Wyoming Valley Health Care System, so she knows a lot about the health industry. Throughout her health problems, Stavish has been thankful that her co-workers have been so cooperative, though when she was on dialysis, she never missed a day of work. Because her office is small, people would pitch in if she needed extra help for projects and they were all supportive of her.
"I think you need to be upbeat and positive. Everybody has problems and things to worry about," Stavish said. "It is so scary to me some days how fortunate I am."
Also, her family, including her husband, Ron Stavish, and her son, Ron, 23, helped her pull through her operation and health problems, and kept her spirits high. They pledged to be organ donors, and try to encourage other people to pledge to be organ donors as well. Her husband and son said the doctors were extremely knowledgeable and helpful throughout the procedures, but it was Karen's strength that impressed them both.
"She was always a very giving person. I would always tell her, you are doing too much. You are giving too much," her husband said. "God looked at her and said we'll give to you this time."
After the transplant, Stavish went by ambulance to the hospital about five or six times, but none of her hospital visits resulted in serious complications.
Stavish takes about 35 pills a day to help her body deal with the organ transplant. It is a price she is willing to pay for not undergoing dialysis on a daily basis, and for being able to see her son graduate from King's this year.
"If that person didn't sign the donor card ..." Stavish said, trailing off. "There are so many transplants they can do now. So many of my friends signed up to be organ donors after my operation."
csheaffer@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2083
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