Presidential Donor Read Online Free Page B
only one donor per five hundred recipients, and the anomaly in question occurred in about one in one thousand patients. Doing the math, Gregg figured it gave the President about a one in five thousand chance of finding a suitable donor. Not very good odds if you've only got forty-eight hours to live.
Gregg's eyes softened. "Actually it's more common than most people realize. It's just that most people don't find out unless they've had a sonogram of their heart. Anyway, our procurement computer has detailed medical histories of any potential donors, so any anomaly between donor and recipient will match."
Gwen Lloyd sat down. "It all sounds so complicated."
"I know it's a lot to absorb at one time. Having said that, my advice to you is to get some rest. It's going to be a long day or two."
Gregg had stretched the truth to its outer limits. The woman needed hope.
He looked at his watch as he headed back to Intensive Care.
Forty-seven hours.
Chapter Nine
Inside Zurich Trauma Center, Jack McDermott no longer needed to be in Neuro Intensive Care. His recent brain scan had shown, much to everyone's surprise, no damaged areas to any region of his brain. As the nurse prepared to transfer him, she scanned his records in amazement. His chances of survival were practically zero, 24 hours ago. Now, awake and talking, and even oriented except for some slight amnesia, she found it remarkable. To send someone out breathing for a change thrilled her.
Going through his records, she noticed the Authorization for Organ Donation form that the Emergency Room nurse had filled out on his admission. An Organ Donor card in his wallet gave permission to any medical facility to use his organs should he be deemed brain dead. On his admission to Zurich Trauma, and because his diagnosis was grave, the procurement liaison entered him into the computers of the Organ Procurement Network.
With his recovery imminent, she needed to call and tell them the good news, or in their case, the bad news. That depended on which side of the fence you stood. She picked up the phone and called the procurement liaison on duty.
"Hello, procurement," a voice answered.
"Yes, this is Neuro ICU at Zurich Trauma. I sent you a potential yesterday, Jack McDermott."
"Yea, I just entered him in the computer."
"Well I'm sorry, but he just came back to life."
"You're kidding, right."
"Nope, he woke up and he's alert and oriented. So I need you to take him out of the system."
"All right. It is unusual, but I'll take care of it."
* * *
When he hung up the phone, he realized he had never received a call to take a donor off the list. He'd heard of it happening to a near drowning victim on occasion, after being submerged in freezing water for an hour or so. Then, when rescued and warmed to normal body temperature, they suddenly regained consciousness. Those cases were rare, though, and the potential donor list remained reserved for the "breathing dead." Anyway, he would give the task to the next shift. He was too tired to fool with it this morning.
Chapter Ten
After his breakfast, Jack McDermott was starting to feel human again. He got up on slightly unsteady legs and walked to the sink. His mouth had a taste like a bad hangover. He closed his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts. It had been one hell of a morning. Suddenly a wave of dizziness washed over him.
He stood motionless, grabbing onto the sink for support, grabbing on as though the floor had tilted sharply underneath him. After a minute, the feeling passed, and he looked up. He stood as straight as he could on his wobbly legs and fixed his eyes on the mirror. Having not seen him since he woke up, the news it delivered shocked him.
A bruised forehead, two black eyes, and the nose... yes the nose definitely had a new shape. Jack managed a smile at his new feature; he could pass himself off as a boxer if he ever wanted to . After all, what could you expect after eating the bark of a tree with your face? "I'm
Gregg's eyes softened. "Actually it's more common than most people realize. It's just that most people don't find out unless they've had a sonogram of their heart. Anyway, our procurement computer has detailed medical histories of any potential donors, so any anomaly between donor and recipient will match."
Gwen Lloyd sat down. "It all sounds so complicated."
"I know it's a lot to absorb at one time. Having said that, my advice to you is to get some rest. It's going to be a long day or two."
Gregg had stretched the truth to its outer limits. The woman needed hope.
He looked at his watch as he headed back to Intensive Care.
Forty-seven hours.
Chapter Nine
Inside Zurich Trauma Center, Jack McDermott no longer needed to be in Neuro Intensive Care. His recent brain scan had shown, much to everyone's surprise, no damaged areas to any region of his brain. As the nurse prepared to transfer him, she scanned his records in amazement. His chances of survival were practically zero, 24 hours ago. Now, awake and talking, and even oriented except for some slight amnesia, she found it remarkable. To send someone out breathing for a change thrilled her.
Going through his records, she noticed the Authorization for Organ Donation form that the Emergency Room nurse had filled out on his admission. An Organ Donor card in his wallet gave permission to any medical facility to use his organs should he be deemed brain dead. On his admission to Zurich Trauma, and because his diagnosis was grave, the procurement liaison entered him into the computers of the Organ Procurement Network.
With his recovery imminent, she needed to call and tell them the good news, or in their case, the bad news. That depended on which side of the fence you stood. She picked up the phone and called the procurement liaison on duty.
"Hello, procurement," a voice answered.
"Yes, this is Neuro ICU at Zurich Trauma. I sent you a potential yesterday, Jack McDermott."
"Yea, I just entered him in the computer."
"Well I'm sorry, but he just came back to life."
"You're kidding, right."
"Nope, he woke up and he's alert and oriented. So I need you to take him out of the system."
"All right. It is unusual, but I'll take care of it."
* * *
When he hung up the phone, he realized he had never received a call to take a donor off the list. He'd heard of it happening to a near drowning victim on occasion, after being submerged in freezing water for an hour or so. Then, when rescued and warmed to normal body temperature, they suddenly regained consciousness. Those cases were rare, though, and the potential donor list remained reserved for the "breathing dead." Anyway, he would give the task to the next shift. He was too tired to fool with it this morning.
Chapter Ten
After his breakfast, Jack McDermott was starting to feel human again. He got up on slightly unsteady legs and walked to the sink. His mouth had a taste like a bad hangover. He closed his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts. It had been one hell of a morning. Suddenly a wave of dizziness washed over him.
He stood motionless, grabbing onto the sink for support, grabbing on as though the floor had tilted sharply underneath him. After a minute, the feeling passed, and he looked up. He stood as straight as he could on his wobbly legs and fixed his eyes on the mirror. Having not seen him since he woke up, the news it delivered shocked him.
A bruised forehead, two black eyes, and the nose... yes the nose definitely had a new shape. Jack managed a smile at his new feature; he could pass himself off as a boxer if he ever wanted to . After all, what could you expect after eating the bark of a tree with your face? "I'm
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