Show Organ Donation o Equals Saving Lives y By Bret Maggio Special to the Globe Kim Nichols a student thought she had the y American dream when her secand second second sec sec- sec ond and child a daughter was was born She had the family she had always dreamed of consisting of a wonderful three- three year-old year boy and the beautiful baby girl that she had just ered Within five weeks of her daughter birth she felt as if she had entered the path to her personal hell was in the hospital hospital hos- hos 4 A a pital having her her- first surgery to try fry to fix the diseased liver she had developed from a progressive progressive progressive sive disease called Artesia The doctors had to cut cutaway i away almost half of her existing liver and reconstruct her intestines intestines intestines intes- intes tines in hopes of stopping the the disease r t. t Two days after the f surgery the news was not good y the surgery was unsuccessful and would need a liver transplant as soon as possible vT The wait for the liver liverI I was a very long five months in which became sicker and sicker The fear of j F 10 a Si j. j i l r h OJ t. t V m Ar N j r v 7 M f X t 1 0 X i 1 f q 1 1 f t v T f r of nr tk uY J i- i t i M r Wi 0 J i t r N Ii t 9 W x A j z v-z hoffS m Vy 9 j. j f 1 fV 1 19 J 1 0 f wit y f f o. o tt is qt 1 d j y r w M it 1 t. t 0 j I i h e. e 4 v z y iv o rk fl v y Before Transplant dying became very real when at six months old she had grown to 24 1 I 12 2 inches around and she could barely breath Her tiny feet would turn purple when she sat up like most normal six months olds do at this age because of lack of circulation circulation circulation cir cir- cir cir- to her stomach n. n IT 4 W 90 PC R 9 f 4 4 After Transplant Kim felt as if a liver would never ne r be found and started started started start start- ed preparing herself for the death of her daughter by deciding what song she would play at the funeral As a last resort Kim and traveled to Chicago to see if Kim could be a donor for her daughter Again the news was not good Kim was not a suitable suitable suitable suit suit- able donor was scheduled scheduled scheduled sched sched- to have the fluid drained from her stomach the next day but at in the morning the phone rang in their hospital room and the voice on the other line said We have a liver Kim and traveled traveled traveled trav trav- by ambulance to Madison Wisconsin stopping once because the ambulance ran out of gas After the ambulance finally got the second tank of gas switched over they made their way to Wisconsin received her liver transplant that day requiting a 10 1012 1 2 hour sur sur- gery The road back to a semi- semi normal life has been long and exhausting but well worth it Kim and her classmates classmates classmates class class- mates Business 2010 and Marketing 1030 have formed a group to inform as many college students as will listen about organ donation through an Organ Donation Awareness campaign This group of students has worked very hard and taken many steps to ensure the success of this cam cam- Please come to the Student Center on April between 11 1100 00 am a.m. to 1 to learn leam more about this important tant issue and show your support of it You can pick up some freebies watch a Tae Kwon Do demonstration and sign a donor registry form A |