Glen's Organ Donation
Glen's Quilt Patch We created a quilt patch for Glen in order to participate in the Gift of Life Hearts of Gold "Threads of Love" memorial quilt to honor the memory of organ and tissue donors. Click here to see the quilts. Glen's patch is in quilt #1... http://www.donors1.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=190&Itemid=266 Organ Recipient Information We received a letter from one of the organ donation recipients, dated December 27, 2001. Communication between donor families and recipients must go through the donor program representative and there is a limit to the information you are allowed to share. Click here to view the letter (Adobe Acrobat format) Glen's Organ Donation When my family and I were in the hospital with Glen we went through a very difficult struggle trying to decide whether or not to allow his organs to be used for transplantation. Glen's heart was beating strong. He was warm. We couldn't accept that his brain was no longer functioning and he couldn't breathe on his own. We couldn't accept that he was no longer in there. His body was fine. He was still the big, strong guy we knew, even the hospital bed was too small for him. We kept hoping, wishing that he would come around. We didn't want to believe the doctor's tests. Then we found ourselves faced with the question of whether or not to donate his organs. And to be honest, we really didn't like the donor lady who spoke with us. We just wanted to be alone to think about this. My father and my brother Tim immediately said that they didn't want to donate any of his organs. Tim believed that Glen was still in there and that he would come out of it. He said "dad, he's in there. He will breathe on his own. He's strong, he will live." It was impossible to comprehend the medical examiner coming in and declaring Glen dead when his heart continued to beat so strongly! I hoped that a miracle would happen and Glen would open his eyes, pop up out of his sleep, and everything would be okay. My father asked the question of all of us and each of us discussed how we felt. We couldn't exactly think clearly but Erol and I suggested that donating his organs would be a really good thing especially since Glen is so young and strong. I thought that this would be a way for him to live on in others. And although Glen would have cringed at the thought of surgery, he was an extremely generous guy and no doubt he would have wanted to give if he could. After debating this for a long, long time, we finally decided to donate some of his organs and not others. We donated Glen's kidneys, liver, pancreas, spleen, heart valves, and some tissue. My father and my brother Tim insisted on going into the surgery room with Glen. They needed to. I can't believe they were that strong. After the doctors took Glen off all of the machines, they said his heart beat for a long, long time, strong and loud. But he did not breathe. Below is the letter I received from the organ donation coordinator describing who received Glen's organs. Each of us in the family received this letter and the accompanying book. Although it still hurts to think about and it is still a difficult decision going over and over it in my mind after the fact, I know for certain that I am glad that Glen lives on. -Sue Caglarcan 2000 Hamilton St., Suite 201 Philadelphia, PA 19130-3813 215-557-8090 www.donors1.org October 25, 2001 Sue Caglarcan ---- ----- ------ --- -- San Diego, CA 92107 Dear Ms. Caglarcan: I want to extend my deepest condolences to you on the loss of your brother, Glen. The sudden death of a loved one is one of the most painful experiences a family can endure. Your strength and courage in thinking of others during this difficult time are a tribute to you and to Glen's memory. I would like to share with you some information about the recipients of your brother's gifts. The recipient of Glen's right kidney is a 61-year-old married gentleman. This is his second transplant; he had one prior transplant in 1995. He had been on dialysis for a while and although Glen's gift of a kidney was slow to function at first, this gentleman is now dialysis free and has been discharged from the hospital with a good prognosis. Glen's left kidney was transplanted into a 39-year-old gentleman from Pennsylvania. He is the proud father of two children and works as a production coordinator. Prior to his transplant this gentleman was on dialysis to help manage his kidney failure. Thanks to this transplant he is now free from the grueling constraints of dialysis sessions. His doctors report that he is doing well and has already been discharged from the hospital. Both recipients have been awaiting these lifesaving transplants for a year. Thanks to Glen's and your family's generosity of spirit, both gentlemen can now look forward to a brighter, healthier future. The gift of Glen's liver was given to a 51-year-old gentleman from Maryland. He is single and works as a salesman. He was on the waiting list for two and a half years before receiving this “second chance” from Glen and your family. I am pleased to report that the liver functioned immediately upon transplantation. Glen's donation of transplantable tissues may benefit many patients in our area. Tissue transplants have been a major advancement in medical treatment and these extraordinary gifts restore meaningful quality of life for many. His heart valves were recovered and may be used to correct valvular dysfunction in children as well as adults. Donated valves provide a much lower incidence of dysfunction and side effects than the artificial valves currently in use. I want to remind you that you are not responsible for hospital costs relating directly to organ donation. Unfortunately, on rare occasions, hospital billing errors do occur. If you receive a hospital bill which mistakenly includes charges relating to donation, please contact our Finance Department and they will help to correct the situation as soon as possible. I am enclosing a booklet For Those Who Give and Grieve. I am also enclosing a brochure that describes our Family Support Services available to you. One of our bereavement counselors will be contacting you shortly. On behalf of Gift of Life Donor Program and the transplant recipients, please accept my sincerest gratitude for you generous gift. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me at 1-800-543-6391. Take care and be well. Kindest Regards, Lisa Magaro, RN, OCN Transplant Coordinator