Triple Threat

Triple Threat parenting triplets in the Capital District

Hard truth about transplants

Not everyone who needs a new organ is eligible to get one

Growing up, I learned some things that I thought were absolute truths turned out to be untrue or merely shades of the truth.

Now that I am a mom of three very inquisitive high school freshmen, I am often questioned (interrogated?) about what I present as the truth. Part of this annoys me – a very small part. The rest of the time, the fact that they feel safe asking questions and challenging authority is refreshing. All I ask is respect, forgiveness and a chance to learn.

The biggest fallacy that I have had to face is that if someone needs an organ, that person will be on the transplant list. UNOS (United Network

for Organ Sharing) is the clearinghouse for organs and tissue donation. Have you ever watched “ER” or “Grey’s Anatomy”? UNOS is a regular discussion between the doctors and patients. Rarely is a person denied access to an organ or tissue. Reality is another story. I have learned in the last seven years that access to an organ is so much complicated. Obviously, there is a process and organ availability to be considered. There is no doubt by that the process is somewhat Jennifer fictional on television, but it colors how viewers see UNOS. Steuer I have never doubted that I would donate my organs and tissues. As parents, Harlan and I talked about donating Olivia, Ben and Rebecca’s organs if the unthinkable ever happened. My grandmother donated her body to Albany Medical College. This was process she started many years before her death, Continued on Page 5

Harlan Steuer has been suffering from End Stage Renal Disease without a prospect for a transplant. Years of dialysis have taken a toll on him and his family.

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SO CAN YOU.

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