Monday, December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas and the ultimate gift


One of the most heart warming stories this year has been of Polish boxing and kickboxing champ Przemyslaw Saleta donating one of his kidneys to his sick baby daughter.

It was a no brainer, I suppose. Your daughter needs a new kidney, and you have two of them.

So Saleta went into surgery last week knowing he was doing the right thing.

After the operation the daughter was doing well, though her dad rapidly went into a coma.

Fortunately the boxing champ came through and is now at home with his wife.

The case has highlighted the lack of donors in Poland, though the country has one of the lowest family refusal rates in the EU – where relatives block the removal of organs after death.


Family refusal
46% Greece
42% United Kingdom
30% France
29% Italy
21% Estonia
19% Latvia
17% Slovakia; Spain
9% Hungary; Poland
Source: European Commission; Council of Europe

So Saleta will no doubt head the campaign for Poles to carry the new ‘Euro cards’, which, when carried in your wallet or handbag, allow for organs to be removed after death without having to ask permission from grieving family.

But what better Christmas present could a dad give his daughter than a new kidney?

The story puts back my faith in humanity.

And let me wish the hundreds of thousands who have passed this way in 2007 a very, very Merry Christmas.

14 comments:

beakerkin said...

This is a decent story. However, remember that some religious denominations forbid organ transfers.

Anonymous said...

It is in fact a good story about a man of excellent convictions. If people on religious grounds to not want to donate organs - so be it but pity them or their family if they need one

luridtraversal said...

That is a nice story. Hopefully both father and daughter will pull through. Merry Christmas Beatroot. Don't eat too much carp and fish in jelly!!!

beatroot said...

Fish in jelly? I would rather eat my own kidneys!

luridtraversal said...

My wife's family eat that every Christmas!!! It's exactly that. Herring in Jello with other vegetables. I like you, would rather eat my own kidneys as well. It looks horrific and tastes extremely salty.

Anonymous said...

Wesolych swiat to all men and women of peace and good will! I'll trust in God to sort out who they are.

beatroot said...

After Ania's mother goes home (after bringing round some nasty fishy thing) I am gonna crack open some rather expensive bubbles and toast all the civilized filk that have contributed to the beat in 2007. You know who you are...

Cheers!

Brad Zimmerman said...

It's funny how Poles really like things like fish in jelly... but don't like stuff like shrimp, clam chowder or peanut butter.

I suppose it's all down to what you ate as a kid. Marmite, for example, is an acquired taste. If you grow up with it, though, it seems normal.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

michael farris said...

A friend in medicine (specializing in nephrology) is worried that the Saleta saga will make people less likely to be donors, especially after seeing the tasteless tabloid coverage.

YouNotSneaky! said...

Wesolych Swiat/Merry Christmas! If you don't like the carp jelly make sure to eat your fill of barszcz z uszkami.

Anonymous said...

saleta lost 20kg after the surgery. Not bad. Now he can fight Floydd Mayweather.

YouNotSneaky! said...

And for those not in the know:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspic

mirjam said...

lovely story, thanks. my grandma is polish and she used to curse us out in her native language. but i have always been drawn to the polish language and story telling.

Anonymous said...

NOW SALETA CAN GO BACK TO HIS PHILANDERING WAYS, HOW HEARTWARMING!