| Praise for a nameless donor
16.10.2005
| By ALISON BROWN in Rotorua When Methodist minister Brian Eagle preaches about the generosity and goodwill of others, a special person springs to mind.
It's not someone he has ever met. He doesn't even know their name.
But it's someone who dramatically changed his life six years ago - by giving him a liver.
Reverend Eagle was 54 and his liver was slowly failing. Without a replacement, his odds of survival were slim. His liver transplant operation has given him a second chance at life - one he doesn't take for granted.
"I've become even more aware of how precious life is," he said. | | | | | | | "I don't want to abuse my body by giving it any inappropriate food or alcohol because I know how sensitive body organs can be."
He first became aware something wasn't right following a routine health check at the age of 45. Results of a blood test alarmed his doctor although no one could determine what precisely was wrong.
It took six years to solve the puzzle. Tests revealed he was suffering from a rare condition that caused cirrhosis of the liver. Biopsies showed his liver was beginning to harden and he was immediately given medication.
The diagnosis, however, came too late. Plagued by poor blood circulation, he began bleeding internally, forcing him to spend several weeks in hospital.
In 1999 Auckland liver specialists decided his liver had deteriorated so badly, he needed a new one.
He was placed on the organ waiting list and sent home.
In August, he developed complications and was referred back to Auckland and placed at the top of the queue.
Within a month he received the call he had been waiting for - surgeons had found a liver compatible with his blood type. That night he went under the knife, emerging nine hours later with a new, healthier liver.
The first two years following any organ transplant are risky. Despite taking a cocktail of drugs, some patients reject their new organs and die.
Now 60, Rev Eagle has had his liver for six years, and has recently been told by specialists he can expect to live as long a life as anyone.
"At first they could only guarantee me a better quality of life, so hearing that was tremendous."
He had further surgery to remove cataracts in his eyes, which developed as a side-effect of his transplant medication. He still takes five pills a day, a minor distraction in his otherwise busy life. As a gesture of thanks for the liver, Rev Eagle wrote to the deceased donor's family, but he has not had a response.
"I consider it my liver now, but I will always be grateful for receiving it."
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Katie Tookey's story is on video.
Kiwis like Katie depend on 'the gift of life'.
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