I have been delaying this announcement for some time until we were positive. A couple of months ago I was talking with a co-worker about vacation. I was telling her that we would not be traveling far this summer because Raquel was on the waiting list for a liver. I went on to tell her that Raquel's blood type was the most common and, as odds would have it, both myself and her father were of a much less common blood type and therefore, not a match. We spoke a bit more about it and then continued on to our duties.

The following day she contacted me and told me that her and her husband had done some research on living donors and that they had decided that she wanted to be Raquel's donor. I was blown away and nearly speechless.  From that point on things progressed quickly. The donor has gone through many tests, including an MRI and a CAT scan along with numerous vials of blood drawn and some intrusive in-depth interviewing. Throughout all of this she has remained committed to helping do what is best for Raquel.

 Since Raquel's diagnosis I have been amazed by the caring and the support offered from people all around me. Support has come from people who I have not spoken to for years, from strangers, from friends, from co-workers and from family.  I have also been amazed by the degree of selfishness and ignorance that has come to light. There are many people who would never even consider being a donor, living or otherwise. I would like to express once again to our donor how special she will always be for her desire, willingness and selflessness to help when help is needed most.

On Tuesday, we received a phone call from the transplant coordinator. She wanted us to bring Raquel in on Wednesday for an appointment so that they could get an update on her condition. There was going to be a transplant meeting later that day and they wanted to be able to discuss Raquel's case. The appointment went well and the doctor is happy with how much Raquel has grown since the last appointment.

Raquel has gained 8 pounds since her surgery in December. The medications have stabilized her liver functioning and she is in relatively good health and strong. Although these are good things the fact remains that Raquel still needs a new liver. Thanks to our donor, Raquel will be able to have her surgery at the optimal time and her doctor feels that time is now. Raquel's liver transplant will be scheduled to take place in August. As soon as the date is set I will update the journal