Posted: 5/9/07
Teen Talk ColumnPennies for Andrew
The one word that keeps popping into my head, when I think about this article is: Life. We never really see what life means to us until something drastic happens. In one boy’s life this change came when he was very young, and I think that to see the miracle of life all you have to do is watch him. Andrew Wright, son of Mike and Jaci Wright and brother to Ryan and Natalie of Wyoming is that boy. Andrew, who is now 12, was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia (Bil-e-air-e A-tree-zah) when he was only six weeks old. Biliary Atresia is a blockage in the tubes that carry a liquid called bile from the liver to the gallbladder. This only occurs when the bile ducts inside or outside the liver do not develop normally. The bile ducts are very important to the body, it helps remove waste from the liver and it carries salts that helps the small intestines break down and digest fat. Biliary Atresia affects only newborns, the bile flows from the liver to the gallbladder where it is blocked. This can lead to liver damage and is deadly if it isn’t treated, it is not hereditary, contagious or preventable. After approximately three months of age the only cure is a liver transplant. After three years of waiting, hoping and praying, Jaci received a phone call from a member of a prayer chain from Faith Lutheran Church. The prayer chain is a group of people who come together to find the needs of members of their congregation and pray for them. Before hanging up the woman said, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a new liver before Christmas?” to which Jaci replied, “That would be great.” Only moments after hanging up, the phone rang once again. “We have a match!” The four most wonderful words this family had been waiting for. Andrew, Jaci, and Mike packed up that night and flew to Omaha, NE where Andrew’s “new liver” was waiting at the Nebraska Medical Center. Within 12 hours of the phone call he was on the operating table. The operation lasted 12 hours, and then they had to wait to see if his body would reject the liver or not. The next day Andrew was eating his favorite food, pizza and only six days later was released from the hospital. Ryan and Natalie were able to come and see their brother. The Wrights had to stay at the Ronald McDonald House for four weeks. On the first day of 1998 Andrew got to go home. While in the Ronald McDonald House, they had some guests at the end of their stay. The guests were some of their closest family friends, who really helped them through that hard time. They helped in many ways including starting a local fundraiser called Pennies For Andrew. Pennies For Andrew jars were placed all over the community including Wyoming Elementary School. The gift of an organ donor can make the difference in more than just the receiver’s life; it makes a difference in many lives. Every 12 minutes another name is added on to the national organ transplant waiting list. Almost 100,000 people are in need of a life-saving organ transplant and an average of 18 people die every day from the lack of available organs. How do you donate? Well many people think that if you sign to be a donor on your driver’s license or donor card your organs will be given to those in need, this is not entirely true. Hospitals seek the consent of your family before removing your organs, so really the best way to ensure your organs being donated is to let your family know how you feel. Andrew now is a sixth grader at Wyoming Elementary, where he is a happy, laughing, and active boy. Andrew plays multiple sports basketball, baseball, and even participated in the Chisago Lakes Triathlon where he placed first in his age group. “He truly is an amazing kid!” a family friend was heard to say. He is the same as any boy, except the scar that runs across his stomach and the liver inside him. See what the gift of organ donation can do, give someone a son or a brother and give a lot of people a really cool friend. Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605