Brother, Can You Spare A Kidney?

We were very sorry to hear that James Armstrong, who has a history with this site, is having serious kidney problems and really needs a transplant. He’s looking for a live donor.

That’s obviously asking a lot and anyone’s instinctive reaction is no thanks.

When you think about it a little deeper though, this could just as easily be you instead of James, and if it was you instead of James, you’d be praying that someone, some saint somewhere, who has no reason to help you, does it anyway. And you would bless and honor that person for the rest of your life.

That’s where James is. No one wants to go through something like this and helping someone in this situation is a profoundly kind thing to do. You have a chance to save a life. That’s incredibly noble. How many people can say they saved someone’s life? Wouldn’t that feel great?

Here’s the e-mail he sent out:

Greetings. You may know me as the original “alpha geek” of the Duke Basketball Report, I helped to build that web site from 1996-2006 to become the premier source of news for Duke basketball, as well as a great on-line community of Duke basketball fans. Two years ago I was diagnosed with kidney disease, and placed on a transplant list. Where I live (near San Francisco) the list is very long, and I cannot expect to receive a kidney for close to a decade.

The doctors are strongly urging me to try to find a living donor. Chances of a successful transplant and a long life are better with living donors. I know this is a huge request, but if you are willing to consider being a donor, please contact me. There are a series of tests the doctors will perform, and see if you are compatible. Even if not, they can set up a chain of donations, where someone will receive your kidney, and I will get a kidney from someone else. To be a donor, you need to be a non-smoker in good health and with no history of kidney disease in your family.

*****

By coincidence, at almost the same time we got this request we saw this link. This is completely ridiculous.

We have a large audience here with many medical professionals and people who work for the government.

If you are in position to do anything with any of these wasted kidneys, perhaps to seek a waiver or an exception, please get in touch with James at the address listed above. We’re sure he’d be happy to hear from you.