Michelle's Story
English
Vietnamese
Michelle focuses her story on the experience of caring for her husband, Peter, who went from feeling relatively healthy to being in a medically-induced coma due to liver failure. She speaks of the anxiety she felt as their family waited to find out whether an appropriate donor could be found and the relief they experienced once Peter was approved for a liver transplant. Michelle acknowledges that while the medical team was top notch, what made the difference through the process was the ongoing support of their extended family.
Discussion Questions and Answers:
What did Michelle learn about the process of obtaining a liver transplant, through her husband’s experience? (Michelle and her husband Peter found out that the criteria for transplants are quite extensive.)
Why did it take so long, for the doctors to identify an appropriate liver donor for Peter? (Donors need to be well enough to withstand lengthy surgery and recovery processes, and livers need to be matched in size to recipients.)
What challenges did Michelle face after her husband’s liver transplant? (She had to calm him when Peter experienced post-surgery delusions, and she and their extended family needed to be there to offer him ongoing support.)
Michelle's story is available in English and Vietnamese.