My brother is going to be saved by love
Spende geschützt
In 2009, my brother and I were both diagnosed with a degenerative liver disease known as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). It's a rare disease that attacks the bile ducts and progressively decreases their size due to inflammation and scarring. Unfortunately, it's a disease that has no treatment or cure and inevitably causes irreparable damage to the liver, which leads to cirrhosis and failure.
"What's it like being a twin?" A question my brother and I have heard our entire lives. I can't tell you exactly what it's like but I can tell you that it's a bond you can't create with somebody. Everything we've learned, we've learned together: how to talk, how to get in to trouble, how to ride a skateboard, and, more importantly, how to battle chronic illness, a fight we've been having most of our lives. At 13, we were diagnosed with Crohn's disease a few months apart from each other, the first of our autoimmune health issues. We learned at a young age that being torn down by illness isn't a defeat but a challenge to be stronger than you previously thought possible and we continuously supported each other whenever either of us would feel weak or sick. He was always there by my side, picking me up and telling me to keep going.
Since we were diagnosed with PSC, we’ve both been able to live fairly comfortable lives and have managed the disease well. Last year, however, things started to change for both of us. In the spring of 2018, I ran into difficulties with the disease as it started to progress to a more serious stage, but I was able to gain some stability through diet and lifestyle changes. My brother, on the other hand, saw more dramatic changes in his health. Over the past 10 months, the disease has progressed to a point of no return. He now has stage 4 liver failure and quite literally his walls have been closing in on him.
When you reach stage 4 liver failure, you're put on the Canadian Transplant Registry, a national organ transplant list run by Canadian Blood Services. There is no way to gauge the timeframe regarding organ availability; it comes down to priority and if the candidate is a match. The best case scenario is to find a living donor to offer 70% of their liver for the transplant. The task is to campaign to friends, family, and the public for people to volunteer to be tested for compatibility with a specific patient.
Enter Laura Maessen, my brother’s long-time girlfriend.
Despite both being from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, they ignited their relationship in the fall of 2016 in Toronto, Ontario. Watching them share their love through these past few years has given me a tremendous sense of comfort. It's not easy living a long distance away from your twin but she makes me feel better knowing he's able to be with her. That's just the kind of person she is; she immediately puts you at ease with her kind and warm personality, her sense of humour, and her ability to make you feel like old friends in casual conversation. They complement each other in the best possible ways.
When Laura found out that my brother’s condition was getting worse, she didn't panic. Instead, she dug in and became an expert on the topic, representing him to others as a warrior and not a victim of the disease. Candidly, I have found you slowly lose parts of yourself when you fight a losing war with this type of chronic illness. It's the untold costs of making constant compromises with your mental health while trying to keep your body functioning properly. This is why I think Laura is so amazing. She has never let my brother lose sight of who he is. She has kept him whole.
The photo above is a case in point when it comes to their relationship. Even though the jaundice caused by his liver failure is visible in his eyes and skin colour, she is still able to keep smiling and bring out the best in him.
She is dedicated to my brother beyond reason. She has taken time off work and pursued the tests and procedures that are required to become a living donor candidate for my brother. The act alone of taking the steps to even make this type of sacrifice were incomprehensible. Then, about three weeks ago, the day after our 31st birthday, I watched my brother get a call from Laura telling him she is a match for his liver transplant. I will never forget the look on his face when the love of his life told him she is going to donate part of her liver to save him.
I often explain to people that living with chronic illness is a lot like waiting for a bus to come that doesn't have a schedule. There is just no telling when something might happen. On top of that, you don't know if the bus that's coming is going to take you back to your health or further down the road of sickness. In my brother’s case, he had reached the end of the road. He thought there were no more buses coming and he was out of options. All he could do was wait. Then, imagine this: by some miracle, he saw headlights on the horizon. The last bus he needed arrived and Laura was inside. When it pulled up she stuck her head out of one of the windows and told him to get on, she was going to make sure everything was going to be alright and help him find his way back.
When everything else is stripped away, my brother is being saved by love.
Even though he hasn't been able to be his best these past 10 months, she's stood next to him, holding him up with unflinching dedication and compassion. I will never be able to fully express to her how much her being there for him through all of this and now making the ultimate donation means to me and our family. Her strength is inspirational; her love overwhelming.
The surgery is tentatively set for October 28th, 2019—two days after their three-year anniversary—at the Toronto General Hospital.
She's going to save his life.
The surgeries are going to happen in tandem and take upwards of nine hours. They are being done by some of the country’s best surgeons and overseen by some of the world’s leading hepatologists.
It will require that both of them be off work for an extensive amount of time. Devin's recovery is slated to take around 15 weeks and Laura's recovery as a donor averages 6 to 10 weeks before they can return to work. Please help our families raise funds for them and make it possible for some of us to be there for them during the weeks and months they'll need our support. We want to make sure that their minds are on each other and their future, not their bills or medical expenses.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Even if you're unable to make a donation, sharing this cause with your friends and loved ones would mean the world to myself, Devin and Laura, and our families.
Anything and everything is greatly appreciated.
Lastly, if you'd like to learn more about becoming a living donor for liver or kidney transplants, here is the website to visit:
https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Living_Donor_Program/Pages/living_liver_donor.aspx#collapseSeven
Best regards,
Adrian McLean.
"What's it like being a twin?" A question my brother and I have heard our entire lives. I can't tell you exactly what it's like but I can tell you that it's a bond you can't create with somebody. Everything we've learned, we've learned together: how to talk, how to get in to trouble, how to ride a skateboard, and, more importantly, how to battle chronic illness, a fight we've been having most of our lives. At 13, we were diagnosed with Crohn's disease a few months apart from each other, the first of our autoimmune health issues. We learned at a young age that being torn down by illness isn't a defeat but a challenge to be stronger than you previously thought possible and we continuously supported each other whenever either of us would feel weak or sick. He was always there by my side, picking me up and telling me to keep going.
Since we were diagnosed with PSC, we’ve both been able to live fairly comfortable lives and have managed the disease well. Last year, however, things started to change for both of us. In the spring of 2018, I ran into difficulties with the disease as it started to progress to a more serious stage, but I was able to gain some stability through diet and lifestyle changes. My brother, on the other hand, saw more dramatic changes in his health. Over the past 10 months, the disease has progressed to a point of no return. He now has stage 4 liver failure and quite literally his walls have been closing in on him.
When you reach stage 4 liver failure, you're put on the Canadian Transplant Registry, a national organ transplant list run by Canadian Blood Services. There is no way to gauge the timeframe regarding organ availability; it comes down to priority and if the candidate is a match. The best case scenario is to find a living donor to offer 70% of their liver for the transplant. The task is to campaign to friends, family, and the public for people to volunteer to be tested for compatibility with a specific patient.
Enter Laura Maessen, my brother’s long-time girlfriend.
Despite both being from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, they ignited their relationship in the fall of 2016 in Toronto, Ontario. Watching them share their love through these past few years has given me a tremendous sense of comfort. It's not easy living a long distance away from your twin but she makes me feel better knowing he's able to be with her. That's just the kind of person she is; she immediately puts you at ease with her kind and warm personality, her sense of humour, and her ability to make you feel like old friends in casual conversation. They complement each other in the best possible ways.
When Laura found out that my brother’s condition was getting worse, she didn't panic. Instead, she dug in and became an expert on the topic, representing him to others as a warrior and not a victim of the disease. Candidly, I have found you slowly lose parts of yourself when you fight a losing war with this type of chronic illness. It's the untold costs of making constant compromises with your mental health while trying to keep your body functioning properly. This is why I think Laura is so amazing. She has never let my brother lose sight of who he is. She has kept him whole.
The photo above is a case in point when it comes to their relationship. Even though the jaundice caused by his liver failure is visible in his eyes and skin colour, she is still able to keep smiling and bring out the best in him.
She is dedicated to my brother beyond reason. She has taken time off work and pursued the tests and procedures that are required to become a living donor candidate for my brother. The act alone of taking the steps to even make this type of sacrifice were incomprehensible. Then, about three weeks ago, the day after our 31st birthday, I watched my brother get a call from Laura telling him she is a match for his liver transplant. I will never forget the look on his face when the love of his life told him she is going to donate part of her liver to save him.
I often explain to people that living with chronic illness is a lot like waiting for a bus to come that doesn't have a schedule. There is just no telling when something might happen. On top of that, you don't know if the bus that's coming is going to take you back to your health or further down the road of sickness. In my brother’s case, he had reached the end of the road. He thought there were no more buses coming and he was out of options. All he could do was wait. Then, imagine this: by some miracle, he saw headlights on the horizon. The last bus he needed arrived and Laura was inside. When it pulled up she stuck her head out of one of the windows and told him to get on, she was going to make sure everything was going to be alright and help him find his way back.
When everything else is stripped away, my brother is being saved by love.
Even though he hasn't been able to be his best these past 10 months, she's stood next to him, holding him up with unflinching dedication and compassion. I will never be able to fully express to her how much her being there for him through all of this and now making the ultimate donation means to me and our family. Her strength is inspirational; her love overwhelming.
The surgery is tentatively set for October 28th, 2019—two days after their three-year anniversary—at the Toronto General Hospital.
She's going to save his life.
The surgeries are going to happen in tandem and take upwards of nine hours. They are being done by some of the country’s best surgeons and overseen by some of the world’s leading hepatologists.
It will require that both of them be off work for an extensive amount of time. Devin's recovery is slated to take around 15 weeks and Laura's recovery as a donor averages 6 to 10 weeks before they can return to work. Please help our families raise funds for them and make it possible for some of us to be there for them during the weeks and months they'll need our support. We want to make sure that their minds are on each other and their future, not their bills or medical expenses.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Even if you're unable to make a donation, sharing this cause with your friends and loved ones would mean the world to myself, Devin and Laura, and our families.
Anything and everything is greatly appreciated.
Lastly, if you'd like to learn more about becoming a living donor for liver or kidney transplants, here is the website to visit:
https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Living_Donor_Program/Pages/living_liver_donor.aspx#collapseSeven
Best regards,
Adrian McLean.
Organisator und Spendenbegünstigter
Adrian McLean
Organisator
Dartmouth, NS
Devin McLean
Spendenbegünstigte