Giving Thanks

On Sunday, November 25th, my story was featured on the CW 11 program "Close Up" at 6 am http://cw11.trb.com/news/local/wpix-closeuphome,0,6081153.htmlstory.  The special program, hosted by Marvin Scott, featured three people who have extra reason to give thanks this holiday: Jeffrey Deskovic, a man who was incarcerated erroneously and freed after spending 16 years in jail (also featured on the front page of yesterday's NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/us/25jeffrey.html?_r=1&oref=slogin), a Major in the US army who is home for the holiday after spending time in Iraq, and me.

Ellyn Marks produced the segment: she had done a story about my need for a transplant while I was in the hospital in 2005 and wanted to do a follow up to help raise awareness about the need for organ donors.  Following my transplant, I was diagnosed with Wilson's Disease, a genetic condition where the body cannot process copper.  The copper accumulates either in the brain or the liver causing irreparable damage if not diagnosed.  Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 11 - 20; in my case, I was asymptomatic and the disease didn't present itself until it was almost too late: the Wilson's Disease caused my liver failure.

Just last week, I heard a very alarming statistic: of the population who died in NY last year, only 1 percent was eligible to donate their organs, which makes the need all the more urgent.  Please continue to help me spread the word about the importance of organ donation.  For more information about organ donation please visit: http://www.donatelifeny.org/ or http://www.organdonor.gov/.  For more information about Wilson's Disease, please visit: www.wilsonsdisease.org. 

All the best,
Shari