From: Pamela Lazarus (pamela39@optonline.net)
Date: Tue Jan 06 2004 - 17:23:31 PST
This was forwarded to me from my Temple, B'nai Or in Morristown. Pamela ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nona Seid" <nna43@hotmail.com> To: <abdmz@aol.com>; <aforman@MetLife.com>; <amymallor@templebnaior.org>; <anitamraff@netscape.net>; <b_leven@yahoo.com>; <babs@wbbergner.com>; <BRayvid@aol.com>; <bugen@rcn.com>; <camper53@msn.com>; <DartNUMom@aol.com>; <DBarkin527@aol.com>; <debbiefreschl@att.net>; <dfeinblum@earthlink.net>; <DramaQueen973@aol.com>; <ejebtr@aol.com>; <fgrossoff@aol.com>; <GMARLOW@JEWISHMETROWESTNJ.ORG>; <jbfree5@aol.com>; <jeri.sharpe@spcorp.com>; <jstife@optonline.net>; <kbanolick@att.net>; <kvcbmw@aol.com>; <Laura9595@aol.com>; <lfisch1@aol.com>; <lisa.barbarosh@wbwood.com>; <lklaub@aol.com>; <lotsaboys@aol.com>; <lrbruskin@aol.com>; <lrwriter@optonline.net>; <LYNX1515@aol.com>; <lzhaan@post.harvard.edu>; <maurazw@optonline.net>; <mdaniels331@hotmail.com>; <morris@gplc.usa.com>; <MPJASZ@aol.com>; <Nancy_Ellis@mcgraw-hill.com>; <nlm8@optonline.net>; <pamela39@optonline.net>; <Renief@cs.com>; <richbrooks@aol.com>; <rozschnee@aol.com>; <sacksbliss@aol.com>; <sbaustin@avaya.com>; <Smaide219@aol.com>; <smush4515@aol.com>; <Speechgram@aol.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 5:49 PM Subject: Desperate Plea from Rabbi Rebecca Sirbu > Shalom, > > I received this plea for help from a member of our community. If you are > able to help please do so. > > > > "If you save one life, it is as if you saved the whole world." > > - The Talmud > > > > Rabbi Rebecca W. Sirbu > > Director, MetroWest Jewish Health and Healing Center > > Director, Center for Jewish Life, JCC MetroWest > > 760 Northfield Ave. > > West Orange, NJ 07052 > > 973-736-3200 x238 www.jccmetrowest.org > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Joan Perrone [mailto:thp@verizon.net] > Sent: Monday, December 29, 2003 9:27 AM > To: Auerbach, Ian > Subject: A Plea for Help > > > > Hi: I am sending you a "Desperate Plea" received on Christmas Eve from a > friend. I hope you don't mind my sending this to your office but time is of > the essence with the mail holiday in the middle of the week. We are > urgently spreading the word about this pending tragedy. The Letter speaks > for itself. Naturally, you came to mind when thinking of the mensches in my > life and I remembered you telling me of the numerous connections you have in > the Jewish community to say nothing of the financial world. I know you will > do what you can to get this Plea out to a wider community. For the record, > Stuart Zimmer graduated from Millburn High School and his mother lives in > Short Hills. Some people you know may know the family. The synagogues of > Woodcliff Lake (Rabbi Ungar) and of Hoboken are already organizing donor > drives. Thank you! > > Happy New Year...Tom and I look forward to seeing you and Steve on Jan 7. > Joan > > THE LETTER > > > Happy Holidays, Everyone > > Yesterday, famous basketball player Alonzo Mourning had a kidney transplant. > We are praying for his speedy recovery. Because of his star status, fans > from around the world called to offer a kidney to Alonzo. Ultimately, he > received a kidney from his cousin because it provided a very close match to > his own. A living related donor is usually the best. > > Ironically, his nephrologist (kidney doctor) and transplant surgeon are the > same as Stuart Zimmer's. And that's who I'm writing about today: my > not-so-famous husband!!! > > As most of you know, Stuart had a living transplant from a friend in June, > which his body rejected in less than 3 weeks. He has been on dialysis ever > since and is doing poorly. His blood pressure skyrockets, often hitting > 200/120. This is very dangerous and could easily cause a stroke. Other side > effects are numerous and often severe. Many people with kidney disease end > up dying of heart failure. Stuart just turned 35, has two young children and > I'm due in about 4 weeks with Number 3! > > Following the failure of the first transplant, Stuart became highly > "sensitized," making a 2nd transplant even more difficult to obtain. Because > of the first transplant and subsequent transfusion, he produced antibodies > that make him more likely to reject a new kidney. That's why he needs a > large potential donor pool -- we have to find a needle in a haystack. > Statistically, only one of five donors would be a match. > > While living relatives are best, Stuart's mother and one brother are > hypertensive and could not be donors. His other brother claims he too is > medically unable to donate. I am not a match. Eight blessed friends > (including some he didn't even know that well) have been tested and NONE > were a match. Before getting his first donor, he spent 7 years on the > waiting list for a cadaveric kidney. > > Stuart has never -- and would never -- ask anyone for a kidney. Everyone who > was tested volunteered on their own. But he is getting desperate and I am > desperate to keep him alive and healthy. So, yes, I AM ASKING. > > If you or anyone you know would be willing to consider donation, please let > us know. If you have type 0 or type B blood, you could literally save > someone's life. You can even call his transplant coordinator if you would > rather remain anonymous. Her name is Joan Kelly at Columbia Presbyterian > Hospital (also Mr. Mourning's coordinator). Her number is 212-305-6393. > > The donor's surgery (nephrectomy) is routine and usually laparoscopic. > Donors are generally hospitalized for just 3 days and back at work in 1 to 2 > weeks, depending on the type of work. There are NO dietary, activity or > lifestyle restrictions on the donor post-surgery. Stuart's first donor is > doing great. > > But you don't have to take my word for it. An entire medical team is > assigned to the donor so there is never a conflict of interest with the > recipient. There is also abundant info on the Web about organ donation. > > The matching test is easy. After answering a few general health questions, > they draw some blood. It takes 5 minutes. > > If you are found to be a match (takes a couple days), then they will proceed > with other tests to make sure you are in good health. They will always err > with caution on the side of the donor. For example, people with high blood > pressure or diabetes are automatically ruled out. You can also back out at > any time. > > Please call transplant coordinator Joan Kelly (212-305-6393) or me to get > tested. If you don't live in the NYC metro area, contact Joan or myself and > we can tell you how to get tested from anywhere. > > Nearly 6,000 people died last year waiting for donor organs, while another > 80,000 languished on the waiting list. At the very least, I beg all of you > to sign a donor card. People (including children) are dying and we are > senselessly burying organs. > > Finally, please pass on this email to anyone you think may be interested in > giving the gift of life! Thank you, Happy New Year and God Bless!! > > Sincerely, > Jennifer Zimmer > > PS: While paying for organs is illegal in the U.S., we would be honored to > make a generous contribution to a favorite charity of a matching donor. > > _________________________________________________________________ > Worried about inbox overload? Get MSN Extra Storage now! > http://join.msn.com/?PAGE=features/es > > Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/timewitnesses/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: timewitnesses-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/