Page 13 - UHN's Year In Review 2013-14: Courage is Daring to Lead
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Multi-organ transplant
Organ donation saves lifelong friend
“It was a gift that I could
Living Liver Donor Program help her. It made me feel
The Living Liver Donor
Program at Toronto General
Hospital, University Health good to give.”
Network, is the largest and
among the best programs in – Alita Malinowski
North America.
It was Gorsline’s best bet
since she was too healthy to
be considered urgently for though she tried to talk me each other for the first time,
a deceased donor liver, and out of doing this, I felt that it they cried and held hands.
yet sick enough to need a was a gift that I could help her. They spent the night writing
transplant. It made me feel good to give,” notes to each other, passing
What the young woman Malinowski said. their messages back and forth
needed was a living donor: Gorsline’s transplant, through their nurses.
someone who would agree to with about 66 per cent of Malinowski’s gift to Gorsline
undergo surgery to donate a Malinowski’s liver, went ahead means the world. She’s excited
Alita Malinowski, left, was determined to walk over to see friend Sarah Gorsline, right, 24 hours after giving portion of his or her liver to
Gorsline part of her liver. (Photo: Sarah Gorsline) her, with time off for all the on January 29, 2014. to watch her children grow up,
necessary tests and a six to With her generous donation, and be the wife and person she
wants to be.
When Sarah Gorsline and Alita At 36, Gorsline had a happy cure. A liver transplant is the eight week recovery. Malinowski saved two lives:
Malinowski met as teenagers life: a loving husband, a only life-prolonging treatment A friend’s gift Gorsline’s and a stranger’s, “Every day I am living life more
18 years ago, they clicked national business career, two for patients with the advanced Malinowski, 37, who has two who will get the liver on the and more and recovering less
instantly. healthy children and lots of disease. children, was happy to step in. deceased donor’s list that was and less. Just the way I like it,”
friends and family. to have been Gorsline’s. Gorsline said.
They shared everything, When Gorsline found out that “I watched Sarah getting
from jokes to boy stories, But Gorsline also had Primary a transplant was an option, sicker and sicker. And even After the procedure, when (Continued on next page)
and dancing together at their Sclerosing Cholangitis, a rare she took a deep breath and Malinowski and Gorsline saw
favourite hangout. illness with no known cause. decided to be “the Girl who
rocked the liver transplant.”
They did not know then that ‘No cure’
they would share one more gift The disease results in severe And with the help of her family, Sarah Gorsline’s blog: The Girl who rocked the liver transplant
that would save Gorsline’s life pain, vomiting, infections, liver friends and two living donors,
– part of Malinowski’s liver. damage and death. There is no she did. Become an organ donor: Beadonor.ca
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Organ donation saves lifelong friend
“It was a gift that I could
Living Liver Donor Program help her. It made me feel
The Living Liver Donor
Program at Toronto General
Hospital, University Health good to give.”
Network, is the largest and
among the best programs in – Alita Malinowski
North America.
It was Gorsline’s best bet
since she was too healthy to
be considered urgently for though she tried to talk me each other for the first time,
a deceased donor liver, and out of doing this, I felt that it they cried and held hands.
yet sick enough to need a was a gift that I could help her. They spent the night writing
transplant. It made me feel good to give,” notes to each other, passing
What the young woman Malinowski said. their messages back and forth
needed was a living donor: Gorsline’s transplant, through their nurses.
someone who would agree to with about 66 per cent of Malinowski’s gift to Gorsline
undergo surgery to donate a Malinowski’s liver, went ahead means the world. She’s excited
Alita Malinowski, left, was determined to walk over to see friend Sarah Gorsline, right, 24 hours after giving portion of his or her liver to
Gorsline part of her liver. (Photo: Sarah Gorsline) her, with time off for all the on January 29, 2014. to watch her children grow up,
necessary tests and a six to With her generous donation, and be the wife and person she
wants to be.
When Sarah Gorsline and Alita At 36, Gorsline had a happy cure. A liver transplant is the eight week recovery. Malinowski saved two lives:
Malinowski met as teenagers life: a loving husband, a only life-prolonging treatment A friend’s gift Gorsline’s and a stranger’s, “Every day I am living life more
18 years ago, they clicked national business career, two for patients with the advanced Malinowski, 37, who has two who will get the liver on the and more and recovering less
instantly. healthy children and lots of disease. children, was happy to step in. deceased donor’s list that was and less. Just the way I like it,”
friends and family. to have been Gorsline’s. Gorsline said.
They shared everything, When Gorsline found out that “I watched Sarah getting
from jokes to boy stories, But Gorsline also had Primary a transplant was an option, sicker and sicker. And even After the procedure, when (Continued on next page)
and dancing together at their Sclerosing Cholangitis, a rare she took a deep breath and Malinowski and Gorsline saw
favourite hangout. illness with no known cause. decided to be “the Girl who
rocked the liver transplant.”
They did not know then that ‘No cure’
they would share one more gift The disease results in severe And with the help of her family, Sarah Gorsline’s blog: The Girl who rocked the liver transplant
that would save Gorsline’s life pain, vomiting, infections, liver friends and two living donors,
– part of Malinowski’s liver. damage and death. There is no she did. Become an organ donor: Beadonor.ca
12 13
